A Curse As Dark As Gold
by RadiantRed17
Summary: Mr. Gold finds himself, once again, struggling for the power that he believes is his. He manipulates everyone to his will, including Catherina, who is just as powerful Mr. Gold. How will he deceive her into using her powers for his benefit when she doesn't even remember who she is? There is a hidden past hanging over their heads. Will that get in the way?
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

She lit a fresh cigarette, in order to pass the time with ease, on her journey to Storybrooke. The single burning ember, glowing with solace and a touch of cancer, brought no answers to what her new home would have in store for her. She often thought about it as a new beginning, but other times she thought of this small town as a punishment for her failings as a musician, an artist, a writer, and most of all, an adult. She was lucky to have a place to fall back on, no matter how small or quaint it was, because she knew that Boston had no place for her anymore. She was always told, by her mother, to follow what she believed in, and happiness would come to her. She believed in the freedom of her mind, but her dreams only brought her neck deep into debt, abandoned by her friends, and ultimately into the back seat of a cab, on her way to Maine. For the most part, Catherina and the cab driver rode in silence. Occasionally, the driver asked her questions, such as "What brings you to Maine this time of year?" and "Is that your natural hair color?" in an attempt to make small talk. However, Catherina had too many thoughts, to many mysteries, plaguing her mind to give an answer without seeming rude. So she settled for one-worded answers that were clipped, and equally satisfying.

Her mind was occupied, not only by Storybrooke and its potential, but also the people that resided there. They all seemed to bear an unknown secret, and treated her as an outsider, even as a threat, on her last visit to Storybrooke. She ventured there as a journalist, employed at the time by an average-sized newspaper company in the outskirts of Boston, and was assigned with the "riveting" task of reporting the endeavors of this ancient town. She had no idea why they sent her to this barren, yet charming, town. Perhaps they wished to get her out of their hair for a few days, but in the end it didn't matter. Eventually she was fired after her employer discovered that her Bachelor's degree in English Composition was a lie. She never attended college, so she figured that her best chance of getting a job in a thriving city was to pretend that she did. Obviously, that notion was an ignorant one, and as a result, she will be discredited in her resume when she tries to seek another job. Her mother was unwilling to help due to the fact that, not only did she struggle with the same financial needs as Catherina, but the two had hardly spoken since they parted ways. Things would have been easier, had Catherina had a father to offer support, but that was never the case. Things were definitely taking a turn for the worse, and she decided that it was time to leave the city that brought all of her misfortune.

Luckily, her job as a "journalist" paid off in at least one way. During her stay in Storybrooke, she met a woman who was not so keen to shunning Catherina. Her name was Ruby; a tall, young woman who worked at the local diner and dressed very provocatively. Surprisingly, this was one of the reasons that they got on so well. They were both ostracized from the tiny community that gave Storybrooke such a welcoming atmosphere, caustically speaking. As they got to know each other, despite Catherina only visiting briefly, they found that they weren't as different from each other as they were the people of Storybrooke, and they promised to keep in touch when Catherina left town. Two weeks later, when Catherina lost her job, Ruby offered a place to stay and a job to work. Ruby tried to justify her actions by saying that she needed some help paying bills, but in reality, Ruby was a whole-hearted, kind individual who was always willing to help a friend.

Her cigarette had burned out long ago, neglected by Catherina as she stared out the car window, immersed in her own musings. She relit the portion that remained just as they were entering the city limits of Storybrooke.

"Have we arrived already?" Catherina asked, surprised at their speedy trip.

"Yes ma'am. We have been driving for four hours though. I thought you would have noticed." The driver said, obviously shocked at her remark. Apparently her thoughts had brought her further away than she had realized. As the driver pulled into town, she was unimpressed by the architecture of the small buildings that now surrounded her. They all had a dainty design, each shop bustling with flowers, brightly colored paint, and smiling people. This town was unlike her old lifestyle, and she was unsure whether she cared for this new comfort or despised it. She was used to crowded cities, booming concerts, speedy businessmen, and crime rates through the roof. The ordinary, friendly ambience that enveloped Storybrooke was suffocating.

As she rode down Main Street, still wet from the recent rainfall, the citizens of Storybrooke all turned their heads towards Catherina. She still had her window cracked after throwing out the remains of her cigarette, and she could hear the eerie silence that washed over the town as she arrived. She was unsure if they recognized her from her last visit, or if they treated all newcomers this way, but she had a heavy feeling that she was unwelcome in this neighborly town. Granny's, the only diner in town, was only two blocks away, but she couldn't get there fast enough. Although her new job awaited her at this lonely diner, she didn't think it was a good idea to be serving customers that hated her.

People were scattered along the sidewalks, and they all paused to stare as Catherina's cab cruised by, marveling at the new inhabitant. She felt uneasy, waiting for them to attack the car at any moment. What could possibly be so interesting about a low-life, failing artist in the back seat of a cab? _It's my hair. _She thought. _I've heard people making fun of gingers before, but these people look like they _actually_ think I will steal their soul._ She gawked at the wide-eyed children, wondering if there was something on her face that was terrifying or hilarious, unaware that she was being watched from the window of the town pawn shop. However, this figure was not gazing at her out of fear. Before she could turn her head in its direction, the figure was gone, having retreated behind a thick curtain.

She finally arrived at Granny's, eager to pay the driver and hop out of the car to avoid as much sneering as possible. She lugged her suitcase out of the car, and looked up at her new home. It wasn't anything truly impressive, but she didn't expect much in the first place. It was a small building, that was originally built to be a house, but it had been renovated into a small eatery and coffee shop. It had a bright baby blue paint with white trim, and was overrun with tangled vines. What would have been a front yard was transformed into a large patio, perhaps for the days when the weather wasn't so cold and dreary, and customers could enjoy eating outside. Regardless of Granny's dingy structure, it wasn't too shabby compared to the rest of Storybrooke.

"Cat!" A voice squealed, making her jump in surprise. Ruby came running out of the diner, still clad in her sexy uniform, perhaps a little too sexy. Ruby caught Catherina in a tight hug, as if they hadn't seen each other in ages.

"Ruby, it's so nice to see you!" Catherina said, returning her new friend's embrace. She couldn't be more grateful for her hospitality and kindness, and she only hoped that she could somehow return the favor.

"How was the trip?" Ruby asked.

"It was uneventful, more or less. My driver seemed a little scared of me, and of this town." Catherina chuckled, remembering the wide eyes of her cabbie as they arrived in Storybrooke, and he seemed relieved when he had received his pay as his farewell.

"Why was he so freaked out? It's not like we're going to bite his head off!" Ruby laughed.

"I feel like some of your friends wanted to, the way they were staring at me." Cat said nervously. "I don't think they like new people."

"Come on, they're just not used to change. Things have always been this way for, well, as long as I can remember." Ruby said timidly. Her eyes darted back and forth, as if something was on her mind that she couldn't quite remember. She hated the feeling, not being able to remember her own childhood. Then again, everyone in Storybrooke was the same way, for some unexplained reason.

"Well, it looks like they're going to have to get used to me." Cat grinned, mischief flashing in her eyes. "I suggest that _we_ get to work."

Ruby flashed her perfect, pearly white teeth and jumped up and down in excitement, catching the interest of two sleazy men standing outside of Granny's. Cat shot them a glare, hopefully striking some form of fear into their hearts, and they averted their perverted gazes quickly. Cat turned back to Ruby just in time to have her hand grabbed and her whole body dragged up the steps of the diner.

"You'll love it here! I'm gonna teach you everything I know, show you the whole town, and even the woods! We're going to have so much fun!" Ruby squealed, still lugging Cat and her suitcase up the steps and into the diner. Cat appreciated Ruby's enthusiasm, but she didn't know if she could keep up the pace that Ruby was. They entered the diner in a rush, and they both stopped in their tracks at the door. Everyone had turned to stare, the same eerie silence enveloping the room. Men and women, they all looked the same, ordinary and boring. However, they seemed to all carry a unique atmosphere with them. Cat couldn't figure out if that was strange, or if the fact that they all turned their heads towards her at the same time was even stranger. Ruby shot her a reassuring look, but Cat didn't feel any better about the situation, and she knew that it was going to be harder to fit in than she thought.

"Screw off!" Ruby snapped. At that moment, everyone in the diner came to their senses and turned back to their own business, leaving Cat and Ruby to start their new task in peace. Cat had worked in food service before, but in places like Mcdonald's or Burger King. She had never been a waitress before, and frankly, she thought she might be a little too clumsy for the job. "Now that that's settled, let's get you in uniform missy!" Ruby smirked, excited to finally have some company that wasn't her Granny.

Ruby reached under the counter and lifted out a light blue denim dress with pockets on the breasts, as well as a fresh white apron, which Cat didn't expect to stay white for very long. The dress seemed a little too short, despite her petit figure, but she was glad that is wasn't as revealing as Ruby's attire.

"Go ahead and go change, I'll wait here. The bathroom is down that hallway over there." Ruby pointed, and Cat nodded in understanding. She made her way towards the bathroom door just as it flew open, and a tall woman with short hair stepped out.

"Pardon me." The woman said curtly. She was a terrifying woman, not ugly, but intimidating. She was rather beautiful, but her dark presence only shot surprise and fear towards Cat's direction. "Have I seen you around here before?"

"Uh-erm, no. I'm new in town." Cat stammered. The woman's eyes narrowed, both in surprise and loathing.

"Well, then I suppose that you'll make yourself comfortable here." The woman said sharply, and somewhat sarcastically. "Oh, and next time, watch where you're going."

Cat opened her mouth to argue, but the woman pushed past her before she could protest. She stood there in shock, and she wondered what was stuck up that woman's rear end. She shook her head and stepped into the small bathroom. She slipped out of her clothes, occasionally bumping an elbow or a hip on the counter, and Cat hissed. The bathroom was too small for her, and she was a small person. She wondered how a larger person could even get through the door. The walls had ugly stains on them, and the sink and toilet somewhat matched. The toilet and the sink were facing each other, not even a foot apart, which explained why Cat was having so much trouble getting into uniform. When she finally slipped into the dress, she sighed in frustration. It was nearly too short, and it squeezed her thighs, hips, and chest area in an uncomfortable way. Clothes were usually never too small for Cat, so she surmised that they were made this way, perhaps to provoke larger tips. She didn't like the idea, and she was very self-conscious about her appearance, but she knew that this job was what she needed to get back on her feet, and she would do whatever it took. She looked at her face in the mirror, and her large blue eyes seemed intimidating in contrast to her small and angular face. Her face was filled with kindness, but also an unmistakable mask of mistrust. She tried to reassure herself that the people around her had good intentions, and she held her chin up to her reflection before picking up her belongings, including her suitcase, and stepping out the door towards her future.

Naturally, she struggled out of the bathroom, her clothes in one hand and her apron in the other. She walked a little stiffly as she tried to hide her rising hemline and her plunging neckline. She hated it, having people stare at her like she was a piece of meat. However, she knew that when she got to know the regular customers, some of the awkwardness would dissipate.

"There you are, I was beginning to think that you had run off." Ruby said sarcastically as she rounded the corner of the bar. "Now we can get some real work done."

The majority of that day was spent in the diner, the dreary light and warm glow from the lights giving Granny's an odd atmosphere. Ruby trained Cat throughout the day, showing her the nooks and crannies of the store, and also showing her how to take orders. The regular customers seemed hesitant to let Cat take their order, but eventually they bitterly obliged. After she got the hang of being in food service again, talking to customers became easier to handle, and in return, the residents treated her with less hostility. Later that afternoon, Cat had a glazed look over her eyes and she dazed off into her own thoughts. She thought of how her new home wouldn't be so bad, and perhaps it would be better than the shithole she came from. She was grateful for the fact that Ruby had welcomed her so openly, offered her a job, a place to sleep, and food to eat. However, she could not get over the strange feeling that the town gave her. It was as if the town, and everyone in it, was ancient and forgotten. The streets were filled with people on routine, it seemed like everything they did was the same as what they did the day before. For years these people have been living under continuity, and they were aware that nothing could change for the better. Dogs were walked, coffee was served, and dreams were forgotten.

"Cat!" Ruby said, bringing her out of her stupor. There was concern written in Ruby's eyes, obviously worried about Cat's strange behavior.

"Yes! Sorry, what is it?" Cat exclaimed, breathing heavily, and a hint of her Scottish accent surfaced without warning. Ruby's eyes widened, and she looked like she would burst with laughter.

"Whoa, whoa! What was that? Faking an accent isn't sexy, Cat!" Ruby chucked, trying to hold back any further giggling, and Cat blushed.

"N-no. My mom was from Scotland, and she rubbed off on me, being around her so much. I haven't seen her in a long time, but I guess she still rears her ugly head in me sometimes." Cat stammered, her tone suddenly becoming more serious without intention. Ruby's smile disappeared, and she tilted her head in worry and confusion.

"Do you miss her?" she asked curiously.

"Sometimes." Cat said, and she regretted bringing up the subject of her mother.

"Well, don't you worry, you'll feel like family with me and Granny! She was a pretty good mother, you know." Ruby smiled, and Cat was thankful for her optimistic attitude, always bringing out the best in everyone. "Anyways, back to tasks at hand, I need you to go confirm an order for me really fast. I forgot to ask him whether or not he wanted a half or full order of fries, and I'm counting the register right now. Table eight." Ruby said as she started rifling through the stack of dollar bills and receipts that were stuffed into the register.

"Right, shouldn't take too long." Cat said nervously. "S-Sorry about that, back in a jiff." She grinned, and Ruby chuckled at her insecurity. Cat turned around and started to stride through the diner, slowly becoming more confident, until she realized that she had no idea where the bloody hell table eight was. She cursed under her breath as she stopped suddenly, banging her toe on the leg of a chair, and looking around awkwardly. She could only imagine what her episode probably looked like to the people in the diner, but no one seemed to notice, and Cat hoped that they weren't just pretending. She pulled out a small slip of paper that Ruby had given her at the beginning of the day, and she unfolded it to reveal a chart of tables and their numbers that matched Granny's.

She counted her steps through the diner, following the small chart until she stood in front of table eight. Her eyes darted up, first towards the ceiling in frustration, then towards the ground. Although she was irked by her lack of ability to memorize small things, such as a group of tables with numbers on them, she never looked at the table or its occupant. She breathed heavily in irritation as her knee collided with yet another chair, and she cursed her luck yet again, wanting the day to end.Finally, she decided to straighten herself up, despite the sharp pain and bruising in her knee, and she made her way to table eight.

As she caught the first glimpse of the lonely figure sitting at this table, tunnel vision threatened to take over her sight. Blackness enveloped the corners of her eyes, and all she could see was the shape of a person. The figure was dark, and had an even stranger presence than the other citizens of Storybrooke seemed to possess. It felt evil and maleficent, and had they ability to attract her and drive her away at the same time. She gulped down a lump in her throat, unable to move towards this ghastly man. Before she could stand there in astonishment any longer, he turned to her and spoke.

"Excuse me." The Scottish accent struck her back, and she immediately recognized its origin, Glasgow; the same town that her mother grew up in. "I'm waiting on an order, and I am feeling rather peckish, dearie."

"Oh! Y-yes, did you want a half order of fries or a full order?" Cat said awkwardly, scratching her arm nervously as the man looked her up and down, and she felt even more insecure as she was being scrutinized. The man took a deep breath, leaning back slightly against the booth to look her straight in the face. His eyes were a deep golden brown, and the lines around them only added to their depth. Cat's eyes wandered from his to scan his face, which was aged, but still retained a light golden color. The grey stubble on his chin added a dark shadow to his face, contributing to his dark presence as a whole. His hair was longer than a normal middle aged man would have, and it was a golden brown, much like his skin, with hints of grey threatening to shine through. His suit was way too classy for the town diner, freshly pressed and well-tailored to his body. She caught herself admiring his looks, despite his age, and she found his presence to be both threatening and intriguing.

"I'm sorry, did you not understand?" The man snapped, quickly bringing her gaze away from his body and back to her eyes. "I do believe I said half." She had not realized that this man, that had caught her attention so intensely, had been trying to speak to her the entire time. Cat blushed with embarrassment and gave the man a slight nod, writing on her notepad and turning to walk away.

"If you're going to make it in this town, you'd better learn to do your job a little better, dearie." The man called after her. Rage flared through Cat's veins at this crude comment, and she no longer found him attractive after catching a glimpse of his attitude. She threw the notepad on the counter for the cook, and stormed over to Ruby, fuming with irritation.

"Whoa, what's your problem?" Ruby asked, grimacing at Cat's tantrum.

"Nothing." Cat murmured. She wanted to complain to Ruby about her latest customer, but she knew that it was partially her fault. After all, she was goggling over him instead of listening to his request, but he didn't have to be so rude about it.

"Cat got your tongue?" Ruby chuckled. "Or maybe Gold does?"

"What?" Cat asked, confused by the strange remark.

"You seem to be having a little trouble with Gold over there. He looked pretty pissed, what happened?" Ruby asked. Ruby had heard the whole conversation between the two strangers, but she thought she would humor herself and act like she didn't know.

"What, is that his name? Kind of pathetic if you ask me. Someone with a name like that should really have better manners!" Cat scowled, annoyance rising in her again. Ruby couldn't contain her laughter, and she busted out laughing, catching the attention of the diners, including Gold.

"You should really hear yourself right now!" Ruby snickered. "He was giving you an answer, but you just stood there looking like you forgot how to talk!" Ruby started to imitate Cat's blank stare, with her mouth hanging open, and a dumbfounded expression on her face. Cat picked up an abandoned newspaper, rolled it into a tube, and repeatedly whacked Ruby with it out of embarrassment. "Hey!" Ruby squealed, more out of amusement than annoyance. Cat threw down the newspaper and walked towards the kitchen in a fit, leaving Ruby chuckling, along with a few ignorant customers. However, when Gold's food was ready and set on the counter to be taken out, Cat froze in place.

She turned to Ruby. "Will you please take this for me?" she asked in a slightly desperate tone. Ruby smirked and shook her head.

"On normal circumstances, I would. However, considering the fact that you just beat me with the Storybrooke Daily, I think I'll let you take this one." Ruby winked, and Cat flushed with irritation. "Besides, it's not like you can walk away from any customer that you don't like."

Cat grimaced, but nodded her head hesitantly in agreement. She turned slowly on her heels to face him across the room. He was fiddling with the end of his cane, with mischief on his face, but she could see innocence in his eyes from where she was standing. Cat hoped that her second encounter with Mr. Gold wouldn't be as unpleasant as the last one. She picked up his food, and strode quickly to his table, confidence showing in her steps. Her steps became quicker and more defiant, and she was only a few feet from him now. She paid no mind to the boot making its way in front of her, eyes glued to her goal, until she was suddenly flying through the air. The room span, her breath was caught in her throat, and she came crashing to the floor louder than she thought possible. The bag of food slipped on the floor, but still remained intact. Although the food was alright, Cat was not. She was once again dumbfounded, sprawled on the floor with her skirt displaced up her thighs and her shirt pulled down by the fall. There was laughter and whistling all around her, applauding the obese, perverted man that had tripped her as well as for her flashy show.

Cat didn't dare get up quite yet, but she looked up when she saw the end of a cane. Gold, in all of his glory and darkness, was smirking over her at his internal victory. He hadn't been the one to trip her, for sure, but she knew that he felt as if a point was proven. His hair flicked around his face, in a golden mess that only taunted her. He extended a hand, and Cat eagerly reached to grab it, grateful for his offer of truce. However, Gold slipped his hand to the side, and instead picked up his sack of greasy food. He gave her one last wink before walking away and out of the door.


	2. Chapter 2-A Chance For Redemption

The ride home was a disappointing one. Cat and Ruby sat in silence as they smoked their cigarettes, and Ruby was at the wheel. The only sound was the quiet sizzling of the ember as they each took a drag. Night had fallen a couple hours ago, so all that could be seen in front of Ruby's headlights was a dark and empty road in the woods. Cat didn't know where Ruby's house was, but she enjoyed the peaceful ride in the moonlit woods compared to the events of that day.

"You know, it does get better." Ruby started, and gave Cat a reassuring glance. "I mean, sure, you're the first new person we've ever had in this town, but that doesn't mean that you'll never be part of our family."

Cat sighed in defeat, she knew that Ruby was right, but she couldn't get over the fact that she has been treated like an outsider. That's all she will ever be in this town, and no amount of hard work or kindness could change that easily. She wanted these people to accept her, she wanted to have a real home, but so far, that has been proven more difficult than she thought. She only hoped that, eventually, she could call these people her family.

When they finally arrived at Ruby's house, which was also Cat's new home, her hopes raised a little. The small cottage was surrounded by woods, a humble escape from the ravages of society. Flower, vines, and even year-round Christmas lights adorned the house. The round stones, varying in size, were set into the walls of her home like an ancient promise of new beginnings. Even in the moonlight, the house still glowed like a lantern, giving off a hue that gave comfort and resolution. It looked like it only had four rooms, with two huge windows on each side of the house. The roof was made of slate tiles, nothing too impressive, but meant to give the cottage a charming look.

"Ruby..This is beautiful. How could you ever afford something like this?" Cat asked, astonishment taking over her voice.

"It's not much. I pay rent to my Granny, so I get a little leeway. She wanted me out of her house, you know?" Ruby chuckled. "It's also a lot cheaper because it's on the outskirts of Storybrooke, and it's the only piece of land that Mr. Gold doesn't own."

Cat grimaced at the sound of his name, her memories of the day flooding back to her. Ruby seemed to notice, and quickly brought her attention back to the house.

"There's plenty of room, I have a spare bedroom, but we'll have to share a bathroom. I hope you can handle that." Ruby winked, and Cat chuckled slightly. She knew that Ruby's hospitality was already too kind, and she thought it was funny that Ruby acted as if none of it was any trouble. They both stepped out of the car, and stepped through the short iron gate at the front of the yard. Slowly, they walked up the stone path to the front porch that ran along the front of the house. They lit another cigarette for themselves, and Cat breathed deeply at the feeling of the smoke in her lungs. She knew that it was a bad habit, but she didn't want to quit, and wouldn't quit as long as Ruby continued. They stood in silence for a couple minutes, taking drags off of their cigarettes and taking in the scenery around them. Although it was dark, the full moon still lit up the front yard with a white, pale light, as if it was still daytime. Everything seemed like it was in its place, with Ruby's car in the driveway, the grass slightly overgrown, and a birdbath next to a large oak tree that dominated the lot.

"So, tell me what happened with you. What did you do to get in such a rut? I mean, you would think that your friends would step in and help." Ruby inquired, leaning on the fence of the front porch and eyeing her with a curious look.

Cat sighed. "Well I guess that's where you come in, isn't it? You're really my only friend." Cat gave Ruby a grateful look, and Ruby smiled. "I lost most of my friend, mostly due to the fact that I had no money, and I kept borrowing money from them. When I couldn't pay them back, they left me. I know I deserved it, but I feel like they just stopped caring about me altogether, as if I was rotten to the core."

Another minute of silence, and more cigarette hits. Ruby seemed to contemplate what she had said, as if she was thinking that Cat would continue to mooch off of her instead of getting back on her feet. Cat realized that what she had said probably made Ruby uncomfortable, and took a step closer to her friend.

"I've changed. I mean, not by much, but enough to be able to support myself, and pay back the ones who have given me so much, including you, Ruby." Cat said, not wanting to ruin her friendship at an early stage. Ruby tilted her head slightly, and eventually gave Cat a nod.

"I trust you. I know that doesn't matter much, but I just wanted to give you that." Ruby said.

Cat smiled, and Ruby returned the look. "Trust is the best thing you could ever give me." Cat said.

"What about your super artistic abilities?" Ruby asked, changing the subject.

"Well, you see, talent is a valuable aspect of someone's personality, and it means a lot to be talented in society, but not so much in the economy. I guess people don't really appreciate your work until you're dead." Cat said, sighing at the thought and at the memory of her past failings. "No one would buy any of my paintings, no one would book be for a show to play my cello, and I got a nasty case of writer's block. Not that writing fanfiction would have helped my situation much, anyways."

"Is that around the time that you came to Storybrooke?" Ruby asked, and Cat nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I was looking for inspiration. Besides, my phony job set me up to the task anyways. I don't really know what they wanted out of this town." Cat eyed the woods curiously, as if she would find her answers in the tree lines.

"You know, they say that there's magic in Storybrooke." Ruby said, mocking a mysterious voice, and giggling at Cat's confused look. "Not that it's true, but some people want to believe anything, especially for publicity. Maybe that's what your boss was seeking, money and fame."

"Well then he definitely won't find it here." Cat said, and they both laughed.

Eventually, they ran out of cigarettes to smoke, and they finally opened the stained glass door to the house. When Cat stepped inside and to the right, into the living room, she was blown back by the interior design. The inside of the house closely resembled the outside, simple yet possessing a vintage style. Two sofas lined the windows, and they both had an intriguing floral design on its fabric. They reminded her of the Victorian ages, although she never lived in anything close to Victorian. The small in-tables that were beside each couch were made of polished wood, with legs that swept down and curled in an intricate spiral at their feet. On top of these tables stood old oil lanterns that had been modified to use electricity, which gave the room even more of an ancient atmosphere. Cat had never thought that Ruby had such good taste.

"Ruby, how could you possibly afford all of this antique furniture?" Cat asked, eyes wide and searching the contents of the living room.

"I didn't buy any of it. My Granny had everything in storage. Neither of us really know where any of this came from, it's always just been there." Ruby's eyes, once again, darted back and forth, as if a memory in the back of her mind was trying to manifest itself.

"Everything is amazing." Cat smiled. She adored all of the bookshelves lining the walls and their contents, never expecting Ruby to have such a creative, classy, and genius personality under her normal behavior. She never had any real friends that she could share her ideas with, and she was glad that she had discovered Ruby to be such an inspiration.

Ruby smiled. "Thank you. Unfortunately, the spare bedroom won't be ready until your stuff gets here from Boston. Do you want to sleep on the couch tonight? Or if you want, you could take my bed."

"I'll take the couch." Cat said, not wanting to take advantage of the situation. "Are you heading off to bed?"

"I will here pretty soon, but I thought we could have a glass of wine first." Ruby winked, and flew into the kitchen, leaving Cat in the living room to marvel at Ruby's possessions. Everything was so elegant, catching her attention at the smallest reflection of warm light from the lanterns. At the time, she could only imagine how beautiful all of the antique treasures looked in the sunlight.

When Ruby returned, she was carrying two crystal glasses, as well as a bottle of cheap red wine under her arm.

"Shall we?" she said, and Cat chuckled, taking one glass from her. After they had their wine poured and they had settled down on the couches, they began to talk of their past, progressively growing more tired from the day's work.

"I had always thought that talent would get me far in life. But it's only brought me suffering." Cat droned, leaning her head back with a sigh.

"I can relate.." Ruby trailed off.

"What are you good at?" Cat asked, curious about Ruby's past after discovering her real personality.

"Finding things," she said. "I wanted to be a detective, but there's not really any schools for criminal justice around here, and my Granny would never let me leave. I guess that I had hoped that I wouldn't need to go to school to do what I love, but I've never been more wrong. So now, I'm stuck working the early shift at Granny's." Ruby sighed, and Cat sat up, reaching across the in-table to put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. For the next two hours, they talked of their past. Ruby spoke of her boring life at Granny's, and Cat spoke of her life of destitution.

The clock was approaching four in the morning, and their bottle of wine was nearly empty. Although neither of them had work in the morning, they were utterly exhausted. Ruby finally decided to wander into her own bed, leaving Cat on the couch with her head swimming. She lay back on the pillows, slowly drifting into a happy sleep that was eagerly welcomed.

The gate rattled.

Cat's eyes immediately shot open, and she froze in her place on the couch. The noise ceased, and she was left in silence. She had always had an over-active imagination, but she couldn't help but think that her mind was not tricking her. She slowly sat up, looking around the room in horror. The couch she was laying on was against the window that faced out of the front of the house, and she knew that if she peeked out, she would be able to see the gate. Before she did, she tip-toed over to the fireplace and grabbed an iron poker, weathered with rust and burn marks. She knew that this would do the trick if she needed to use it. As her eyes darted around the room, they eventually adjusted to the darkness, and she could quickly make her way to the window. She could see the moonlight shining down on the curtains, and it was much easier to see outside than if there was no moon. She put her knees up on the couch, slowly drawing back the curtain, only a sliver, in order to see outside.

A dark figure stood near the gate. It was not tall, nor was it large. The figure was slim, but not even the moonlight could distinguish its features. Cat stood still, not wanting to catch its eye if she moved too fast. She knew that she should wake up Ruby, but she was scared that, if she did, she would be putting Ruby in unnecessary danger. If Ruby got hurt, Cat wouldn't be able to live with it. She had to go out there by herself before whoever this was came into the house. Unfortunately, she was still dressed in her uniform, and her only defense was her large combat boots sitting on the floor. She was exposed, her legs bare and she had hardly any pockets to hide a weapon in. She slowly slipped on her boots, crept into the kitchen, and grabbed a kitchen knife. She shoved it into the straps of her right boot, preparing herself for a fight that would save her friend. She clutched the iron poker as she looked through the stained glass of the front door. The figure was still there, but had moved closer to the house, an obvious limp in its step. It sneaked around, poking at the birdbath and the bushes.

Cat clenched her muscles, clenched her teeth, and turned the doorknob. The knob squeaked loudly, and Cat squeezed her eyes shut out of nervousness. As she squinted one eye open, she noticed that the figure had stopped, and was facing the front door with what seemed like menace. Her breath caught in her throat, her hand still on the doorknob, and she waited for several seconds. The silhouette turned on its heels and started to make its way back to the gate. Cat would not let this slip by. She knew that if she didn't do anything, it was only likely to happen again. With a sense on finality, her grip tightened on the poker, she flung the door open, and ran down the steps with slow speed, raising the weapon over her head to strike the intruder. She was drawing closer to him, the space between them was closing slowly, and she only wished that she could run faster. As she came closer to the gate, she noticed that the figure had stopped in its tracks with its back to her. She could now clearly see his features in the moonlight, and identified him as a slim man with hair that nearly reached the collar of his suit.

A suit, Cat thought to herself as she stomped towards him, who would be wandering around in the woods at this hour…in a suit?

The man turned around quickly, raising a long stick in the air, ready to strike her down. His hair swept around his face, with streaks of grey…

_And a hint of gold._ She thought.

"Wait!" she yelled, throwing down her weapon and throwing up her hands in surrender. Gold was now facing her, and his dark eyes were gleaming with the devil. Her throat croaked in terror. However, before she could speak again, the golden head of his cane came crashing down on her temple, and she slumped to the ground.

_She looks rather pretty,_ Gold thought, _when she wasn't fuming with anger at him. _Gold brushed off his suit, although it didn't have any dirt on it. He knew that the slight commotion would wake her roommate, and he had to leave soon. However, he had to finish what he came for, because he knew that this would be his only chance to set foot on this lonely property. He reached inside of his coat, cringing slightly at the bruise forming on the young woman's head, and pulled out a red envelope. He thought about leaving it on Catherina's unconscious body, but he realized that it would only give Ruby a reason to blame him for her injury. Although it was true, maybe she would convince herself that she had dreamt the entire scene. So instead, he struggled up the steps, supporting himself with the cane, and quietly set the envelope in the mailbox.

He turned around and climbed down the steps, avoiding Catherina in the middle of the pathway, and slipped through the front gate. He was curious to see what this mysterious place contained, considering the fact that he owned everything else but this piece of land. He wanted to stay and look around, but he knew that, if Catherina should wake up, any plans of possible redemption would be wasted. He slumped down into his black Cadillac, both tired at the time of night and regretful for hurting her. He had told himself many years ago that he would never harm a woman again, for fear of bringing himself, and others, more pain and suffering. He had to gain her trust, and her forgiveness for his previous actions was the first step. Perhaps the contents in the envelope would allow him a path into her life when she read it. Although he was doubtful, he reassured myself that, if she was indeed a good person, then she would allow him a second chance, and his thoughts, once again, became overly confident and arrogant. He knew that he could accomplish it, because he needed her complete trust in order to fulfill the task that he had waited so long to carry out.

He cringed at the thought, and settled for starting the car. It was approaching dawn, and if Ruby had stirred in her sleep during the encounter, she would be awake soon, and searching for Catherina. He pulled away from the house rather quickly, his tires disturbing a rather large amount of gravel, creating a shower of pebbles and noise. As he rounded the corner into the dark woods, and he was no longer visible from the house, he stole a glance in his rearview mirror. Ruby was crouched over Catherina's body, slapping her cheeks and yelling in her face. Ruby searched the yard frantically, and Gold chuckled when she did not see anything. He continued driving back home to the books that aided him in his pursuit, and hopefully, towards his future.

Cat awoke with a start, head pounding, and taking in a breath of air as if it was her first. She quickly sat up and searched her surroundings, forgetting that she was in Storybrooke, and sighed in relief when she realized that she was still on the couch in her new home. The morning light made the room and its contents glisten with the primary colors, and the air smelled of the pine trees that surrounded them. Cat stood up and stretched, wincing slightly at the pain in her temple, and she surmised that she had hit her head on the in-table during the night. She heard clattering from the kitchen, and slowly wandered in to find Ruby setting out ingredients for breakfast; eggs and balls of dough for biscuits.

"Hey." Cat mumbled contently, but she was cut off from her next sentence by the look of horror and relief in Ruby's eyes.

"Cat! Do you know what time it is?!" Ruby squealed, and set her hands of Cat's shoulders.

"Uh.. Nine?"

"It's past noon!" Ruby exclaimed. "I thought you had gone into a coma, and I was planning on taking you to the hospital!"

"Why would you do that?" Cat said in surprise, confused by Ruby's panicked tone. She didn't mean to sleep in so late, but she expected Ruby to cut her a little bit of slack on the first day. After all, neither of them were working that day.

"I found you unconscious in the front lawn with a big lump on your head, Cat. You must have been attacked by an animal." Ruby's voice had calmed down slightly, but she started to grip Cat's shoulders even harder.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rubes. I mean, I remember having a nightmare, but I swear I didn't leave that couch all night." Cat said stubbornly.

"Go look in the mirror." Ruby said curtly. Cat obliged, and strode to the mirror that hung horizontally in the front hallway. She was blown back in shock when she saw her reflection. On her right temple was a large bruise that was purple, black, and throbbing. Cat gasped, and suddenly became much more aware of the pain in her head.

"Do you believe me now?" Ruby yelled from the kitchen. "You were either sleepwalking, or you really pissed off some kind of critter."

Cat shuddered, remembering her nightmare, and suddenly realizing that it may have been true. Cat ran out of the front door and into the front yard, frantically searching for a clue that her dream was in fact a reality. She saw nothing, only green grass, flowers, and the elegant birdbath. Ruby was standing at the front door, a concerned look on her face. Cat knew that Ruby wanted to take her to the hospital, but she was too frightened to leave the house without knowing the truth.

"Cat, we need to go." Ruby sighed, leaning against the front of the house by the mailbox. Ruby thought that Cat could be delirious after being attacked as well as the change in setting from a big city to a rural area. It was then that Cat saw the flash of red protruding from the mailbox. She ran up the steps and ripped the envelope from the mailbox, pushing Ruby aside as she opened it and removed the contents. Inside was a single slip of manila paper that read:

_1711 Lamar Blvd._

_Saturday night, 7:00 pm_

_See you for dinner, Catherina._

That was the moment that she realized that, unfortunately, none of the events from the previous night were a fiction of her mind.


	3. Chapter 3-Amends

Once again, Cat and Ruby rode in the car in silence, on their way to the hospital. Cat turned over the red envelope in her hands several times, and she could not shake its contents from her mind. Although her head throbbed, she was finally able to remember the previous night with clarity. She remembered seeing Gold snooping around their front yard, and she especially remembered when he knocked the wits out of her with his gold-headed cane. That part she would definitely keep in mind upon making her decision. Her decision, which should have been easy considering the circumstances, was proving to be difficult. He had trespassed onto Ruby's property, assaulted Cat, and now he wanted to invite her for dinner. Cat knew that she should not go do something so stupid, but then again, she could give him a gift in return for the possible concussion he had given her.

Cat lit a cigarette, but Ruby made a noise of protest.

"I really don't think you should be smoking in this condition." Ruby said, concern and anger flashing in her eyes.

"Please, Ruby," Cat said, her eyes starting to roll. "I think that I should be smoking because I'm in this condition." Cat laughed, and after a little hesitation, Ruby joined in as well. They both sucked on cigarettes like air, and although Cat's head was killing her, she felt a brief moment of relief. When they arrived at the hospital, Cat no longer felt the need to be treated, but Ruby still insisted.

"I just want to make sure you'll be okay, and if there's anything we can do to ensure that you won't drop into a coma." Ruby smirked slightly, and guided Cat through the doors. Immediately, a nurse was leading them into an examination room. It was bland, with pale blue walls and a plastic bed with a paper sheet over the top. Cat hated the way that the walls and that paper made her cringe at the sight, and she winced slightly as she sat down, causing the paper to create a loud crunching noise.

"Is there not a wait?" Cat asked as the nurse closed the door behind them.

"Not in a small town like this, sweetie." The nurse smiled sweetly, and Cat stammered slightly, surprised at her hospitality after yesterday's scene. When the nurse stepped out of the room to retrieve the doctor, Cat turned to Ruby.

"Shouldn't the people here be little more…rude?" Cat asked in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Oh, you know she wants to be." Ruby chuckled. "But they have some moral code here, they have to be nice to everyone."

Cat laughed at this, both amused and irritated at everyone's distaste for her. She wanted to fit in as best as she could, but if she was still going to constantly be treated as an outsider, she wanted to deliberately go against these people. As the nurse stepped back into the room, she was followed by a tall, blonde man in a white coat.

"Excuse me," The man said. "But I do believe that this young woman here requires my assistance." He pointed to Cat. "I'm Dr. Whale."

"Catherina." She said, and tried to smile as she shook his hand, noticing the contempt and scrutiny in his eyes.

"Now, what seems to be the problem?"

Ruby stepped over to Cat and turned her head for her, so Dr. Whale could see the progressing bruise on her head.

"Ah, it seems that Gold got a hold of you." Whale said, and Cat gasped. Ruby looked between the two of them as if they were strangers, and settled for Cat.

"What is he talking about?" Ruby asked, anger rising in her tone. However, before Cat could answer, Dr. Whale spoke:

"It's only logical. In fact, I've had many patients come see me with the same nasty bruise. Same bruise, same cane. Gold's a nasty man." He said sternly, and Cat sighed, nodding in agreement.

"I thought it was only a dream, but I realized that I was wrong when I found the letter in the mailbox, you see." Cat said, handing the red envelope to Rubv and watching as her eyes widened at the message. Cat continued. "Gold broke into our yard last night, and he nearly got into the house."

"Why didn't you come get me?" Ruby demanded, hurt and fear forming in her eyes. She was obviously concerned for her new friend's safety; otherwise she would not have cared enough to take Cat to the hospital.

"And see you get hammered in the head as well, or worse?" Cat exclaimed, catching Dr. Whale by surprise at the outburst, and he took a step back. Ruby seemed to shrink a little, and nodded her head slightly.

"I thought I could handle it on my own, I guess I didn't really expect to be handling Gold." Cat admitted, her confidence sinking. A few moments later, Dr. Whale was observing the bruise and shining a light into her eyes in order to check for a concussion. Cat and Ruby spoke of Gold, back and forth, while the doctor examined her and prescribed her a pain medication.

"You're not going to dinner with him." Ruby said in a motherly voice, and Cat chuckled.

"You sound really scary, you know." Cat smirked. "Besides, it could give me a chance to get him back for what he did."

"You can always do that by different means, you know." Ruby said, a cynical tone in her voice. Cat knew that Ruby was right, but she also couldn't shake the attraction to Gold from her mind. It wasn't necessarily a sexual attraction, it was an attraction to the unknown, to danger, and she felt that Gold was drawing her in with these qualities. Ruby seemed to understand the look on her face, and sighed in frustration.

"Whatever Cat, let's get you home and cleaned up. I guess you have a date tonight."

The bell to the pawnbroker's shop rang loudly as Regina strode through the door, her usual arrogant and all-knowing expression on her face. She looked around at Gold's possessions thoughtfully, examining each item and the memories that it might hold. The dim lighting only gave his shop a more mysterious and menacing atmosphere, but Regina was not fazed. She walked to the front counter and waited impatiently for the owner to emerge.

When Gold moved the curtain to the back room and stepped out, for an instant he seemed surprised to see Regina in his shop, but he soon dismissed it and gave her a smirk instead.

"Madame Mayor, what could I possibly do for you this time?" Gold inquired thoughtfully.

Regina scowled. "Oh, don't act like you don't know why I'm here." She slammed a picture down onto the glass counter. The picture contained a woman emerging from a taxi cab, with long red hair and pale skin. Catherina, he thought.

"Why, this picture has Sydney's name written all over it. You really shouldn't involve yourself in his incessant snooping, dearie." Gold said with irritation rising in his voice. He wanted Catherina left alone in order for him to achieve what he wanted, without any problems.

"I don't like new people, Gold. They're threatening to me, and you know what happens when I feel threatened." Regina set her hands on the counter defiantly, and Gold silently cursed her for smudging the freshly polished glass. He would have to clean it for the third time that day.

"I think you should leave this to those it involves." Gold said, giving her a wry smile.

"And who would that be?" Regina scoffed, and her voice sounded hurt.

"Clearly, not you." Gold said with finality, and he turned back to the curtain that led to the back room. However, Regina's next remark stopped him in his tracks.

"What if it's her?" Regina said with emphasis. "Don't you think that in itself calls for a little bit of snooping?"

Gold contemplated this for a moment, already knowing the answer to her question, but not wanting to reveal that to Regina. If the curse were to be broken, everything would be revealed anyways, and he would rather wait for that day to come.

"Please," Gold snapped, and Regina's eyes narrowed at the remark. She was completely aware of the fact that Gold knew who he was; Rumpelstiltskin. However, that didn't change the circumstances of the deal that they made before the curse. "If that was true, don't you think that we would all be dead by now?" Gold left her, retreating through the curtain, and left Regina fuming.

Gold waited for the door to shut, and the bell to ring for the last time. When it did, he removed his normal black waistcoat as well as his suit, setting his cane to the side for just a moment. He was left in only a black silk shirt and his boxers. He limped slowly to the wardrobe that was only a few feet away, and opened the doors with remote eagerness. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and soon replaced it with one of red silk. He thought that it would be fitting for the evening to come, and he slipped into a black waistcoat, suit, and tie. Although it was his normal attire, he liked the mix of colors, and hoped it would provoke the memories hidden deep within Catherina. He had worn the same shades during their last meeting so many years ago, and he remembered her commenting on it. Perhaps it wouldn't take much to awaken the monster in her, but he would probably have to wait for Ms. Swan to break the curse. Nevertheless, he hoped that this evening would be successful on his part, regardless of his previous actions from the night before. He admired himself in the mirror, appreciating the fact that, in this world, he regained his devilishly good looks. He had temporarily rid himself of that other nasty complexion, but he still retained the power of The Dark One. Gold reassured himself that, during their meeting, his charm would sway her into forgetting his wrongs, and she would do whatever he asked of her.

He doubted it.

Maybe, he thought, in a land of magic and fairy tales.

Cat didn't have much to wear. She never expected to feel the need to dress up, at least not this soon. She sighed in frustration at the small selection of clothes that were in the suitcase. She had formal clothes, but they were still being shipped to her from Boston, so she didn't have much of a choice. She refused to ask Ruby for anything to wear. For one, she felt like she was already taking advantage of the situation, and she also knew that Ruby was not happy about her decision regarding Gold's invitation. Cat wasn't completely comfortable with it earlier. She detested the idea of eating dinner with the man that took part in humiliating her at her new job, and she loathed him for beating her on the head with his cane like she was one of his irresponsible tenants.

She finally settled for jeans, her combat boots, and a blue blouse. It didn't squeeze her form too much, and it buttoned up the front casually. It was nearing six-thirty, so she was somewhat rushed in fixing her hair. She was never one to spend hours on her hair, mostly due to the fact that it was a long, red mess of curls that she couldn't tame. She left it down, running a brush through the locks, and gave up. She hated the fact that she looked like a man with her hair tied up, so she settled for what she had. She inspected herself in the mirror, admiring the way that the dark clothes contrasted against her light skin, but then cursed at her dirty fingernails, picking at them and biting them slightly until Ruby knocked on the door.

"Time to go, red. I'm giving you a ride to town." Ruby said, her tone clipped, and Cat winced at the remark.

"I was planning on walking, you know. You don't have to do this." Cat uttered apologetically.

"It's fine, really. I want to see the look on his face when I slap him across the face. Maybe he'll get a taste of his own medicine, not meaning to sound cliché." Ruby smirked, and motioned for Cat to follow her. However, Cat planted her feet firmly.

"I'm walking." Cat said, and Ruby chuckled.

"You'll never make it on time."

"I grew up in the city, you learn to walk fast." Cat said, giving Ruby a wry smile, and Ruby sighed.

"If you insist, at least take my bike." She said, and walked through the hall to the front door. Cat poked her head out of the bedroom door.

"I don't know how to ride a freaking motorcycle! I'll fall over in the driveway!" Cat yelled desperately, and Ruby burst out laughing.

"Not a motorcycle, you turd! How rich do you think I am?" Ruby said mockingly. "I have an old bicycle in the shed."

Cat sighed in relief, and followed Ruby outside to the side of the house where the shed sat. Its design matched the house, but was much smaller and worn by the weather. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years, and the paint was chipping on the large doors. As Ruby opened the doors, several wood spiders crawled from the handles, and Cat squealed at the sight.

"What?" Ruby laughed, and Cat backed away from the shed. She was deathly afraid of spiders, to an extent where it was almost humorous. Ruby wheeled out an old touring bicycle that was light blue in color, and it was coated in dirt and spider webs. She wiped off the seat with the palm of her hand, and gave Cat a mocking smile.

"The car's unlocked, if you're still up for the offer." Ruby chuckled, and Cat stuck her tongue out at her.

"I'll take the bike. Thanks." Cat said, smiling at the situation, but also grateful for Ruby's willingness to work around her stubborn attitude.

"Have fun, and when you humiliate him in front of everyone, take a picture for me." Ruby winked, and strode back into the house. Cat mounted the bike, and although it was a little too tall for her, she quickly remembered how to ride, and took off up the driveway. She looked at her watch, and it read 6:35. She hoped that she could make it on time due to the fact that Ruby's cottage was nearly past the Storybrooke town line. She started pedaling fast when she got to the main road, and sped up and she turned the corner and flew down the hill. She enjoyed taking in the scenery as she rode through the wooded roads. The treetops reached far above her head, the green leaves swaying against the evening sky. When she rounded a corner, her eyes widened at the vibrant sunset. Its colors flew across the sky, sending shades of orange and pink in every direction like a beacon of promise. She breathed in the scent of the pine trees, filling her lungs with their essence. She hoped that this signified a better start to her new life, and maybe that things would take a turn for the better after that night.

She rode like this for a long time, enjoying the beauty of Maine in the mid-spring season. As she rode into town, and the first buildings of the downtown area came into view, she checked her watch.

7:05.

Crap, she thought. She knew that he would only ridicule her more for being late, and she soon realized that she had no idea where Lamar Boulevard was, or even what kind of restaurant she was looking for. She spotted a man strolling down the sidewalk, with a large Dalmatian on a leash, and cut him off before he could walk any further. The man was balding, with orange hair and large glasses sitting on his face. He looked a little overly-surprised when he saw her, and stopped in his tracks when she pulled over in front of him.

"Can I help you?" the man said, and his voice seemed a little kinder than everyone else's. He looked her up and down, obviously enjoying what he saw, but he quickly locked his eyes back to hers.

"Yes, I'm looking for seventeen-hundred Lamar, and I seem to have myself lost already." Cat sighed.

"Oh, well, uh, that's just right around the corner. The Italian Bistro, if that's what you're looking for. Just keep heading straight, and take a right two blocks from here. It's really hard to miss."

Cat smiled. "Thank you so much! I'm late for a meeting."

"Gold, huh?" The man smirked, observing the bruise on her temple. Cat chuckled.

"Unfortunately, how'd you know?" she said, and they both laughed.

"I'm Archie." He introduced himself, giving her a knowing smile.

"Catherina." She said, and Archie bowed slightly, trying to give their awkward meeting a little humor.

"Well, you really should go. I know how Gold is. Matter of fact, everyone knows." Archie looked around, as if he was paranoid that Gold's cane would swoop in from nowhere.

"Knows what?" Cat said curiously.

"Well, he's kind of violent, if you haven't already figured that out. Be careful, I wouldn't cross him, despite what he's done to you." He warned, pointing nonchalantly at her injury.

"I think I can handle myself." Cat winked, and balanced herself on the bike again. She pedaled away, waving a goodbye to Archie, who seemed to have a dumbfounded look on his face.

When she finally found The Italian Bistro, her watch was nearing 7:15. She cursed under her breath as she placed the bike against the front of the building. She didn't have a lock for it, but she didn't think that anyone would be desperate enough to take her bike. She wiped the dirt off of the inside of her legs, and wiped the sweat from her face. The wind and humidity didn't do any favors for her hair, but she flattened it as much as she could. She swiped at her blouse one last time before entering the large double doors of the bistro.

The atmosphere was soothing. Quiet quartet music played in the background, and the lighting was dim. It took her a moment for her eyes to adjust to the lighting, but she could soon see the entire restaurant and its contents. Small candles adorned every table, strewn with white tablecloths and cushioned chairs. The walls were a deep shade of pink, and dim lanterns gave the room a comfortable atmosphere. The aromas that tickled her nose drew her further into the restaurant, and she realized that she had not eaten that day. Her stomach growled, and she fantasized about ravioli, bread sticks, and wine.

"Miss?" a woman's voice soon brought Catherina out of her daydreaming. The hostess was staring at her from behind a podium, and Cat could tell that the woman was thinking about throwing her out. Cat wasn't a beggar only searching for free food, but she knew that the hostess probably thought otherwise.

"Ah..y-yes. I was supposed to meet at seven. Is he still here?" Cat asked in a hesitant voice, and the woman's eyes widened.

"Right this way." She said, carrying a menu with her, and she led Cat through the restaurant and into the back room. It was dimmer than the front of the restaurant, and was almost completely empty. Cat wondered whether or not Gold intended to eat in privacy that night. The hostess pointed her in the direction of a large booth in the corner that was made of intricately carved wood and cushions that matched the walls.

Cat smiled at the woman, but she got a crude look in return. Cat rolled her eyes and started walking towards the booth where the lonely figure waited for her. Her stomach did flips, and her heart sank through her gut, her nervousness taking over her body. This situation seemed familiar, and she thought of yesterday, when she saw this man brooding at table eight. The circumstances were completely different this time, and she was not planning to gawk at him like an idiot.

She finally made it to the table, and his golden strands swayed backwards as he looked up at her. He was the same man, no doubt about it, but the lighting in the room only seemed to make his entire presence radiate with a golden aura. The red, silk shirt and the black suit he wore only seemed to deepen his features, and Cat thought that these colors flattered him. They gave him an even darker essence. He stared at her with dark eyes, and she fidgeted under his gaze. She could feel him scrutinizing her again, as if he could reveal all of her darkest secrets with those eyes.

"Well, it's nice of you to finally show up, isn't it?" he smirked, already trying to irk Catherina.

"I didn't have to, you know."

"That's a rather nasty bruise; it doesn't suit your complexion very well. It makes you look sick." Gold stood from the booth as he said this, and motioned for her to sit. However, Cat backed away from him, shooting a glare at him.

"We can either go about this in a friendly, civilized way, or I can walk right back out that door." Cat grimaced, her voice lowering slightly.

"Well don't worry, dearie. That's exactly why I invited you here." Gold waved his hand towards her seat again, and Cat stubbornly obliged. The waiter brought two glasses of white wine and set them down on the table. Cat took a sip, and her eyes widened at the quality of the taste.

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Gold?" Cat smirked at him, and he put both hands up in surrender.

"I would never do such a thing, but if you wish to get yourself drunk, there's no one stopping you." Gold's mouth twisted as he said it, and his voice took on a throaty tone. Cat set the glass back down on the table, and instead she settled for looking at the menu. All of the entrees had strange names that she could hardly understand. She knew some French, and although the language was similar to Italian, she still had trouble discerning what each entrée contained.

"Try the Gnocchi Caprese, it's to die for." Gold winked, and Cat fidgeted nervously, setting down her menu and settling for Gold's suggestion. After they made their order and their menus were collected, Gold set his arms on the table and leaned towards Catherina. Once again, she could see the menace in his eyes, but also the kindness. She couldn't peel her eyes away from his, as if he was locking her in his gaze. She soon found herself gazing at his features in a stupor, even after she had reassured herself that this would not happen.

"Catherina," He said softly, somewhat bringing her out of her state. "Why are you here?"

Cat blinked. "You invited me."

Gold rolled his eyes. "No, no. In Storybrooke, why are you here in Storybrooke?" His tone became more rushed, as if he needed an answer as soon as possible.

"Oh, uh, I don't really know. I needed some help, and Ruby's a good friend of mine." Cat said hesitantly.

"Are you sure that's it?" Gold said quietly, almost in a whisper. Cat's face looked puzzled, and she nodded her head slowly.

"What else would it be?" she asked.

"Nothing that your feeble mind could possibly understand." Gold grimaced in frustration, unable to jog any memory of Catherina's past life. He knew that it probably wouldn't work, the curse was immensely powerful, and can only be broken by the Savior. He created the curse, but he could not break it so easily. He could see the confusion in Catherina's face, and he thought it best to leave the subject alone until the time was appropriate.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to ask the questions." Cat raised her chin in defiance. "Why am I here?"

"I wanted to make amends." Gold said, giving Cat a wry smile. Cat's face twisted in disbelief.

"Why were you on Ruby's front lawn at four o'clock in the morning?" She asked.

"I came to deliver a letter to you."

"Why so late?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"Why, I thought you would still be awake, and wasn't I correct?" Gold set his chin on his hands, gazing at her with pure mockery. Gold cleared his throat.

"My sincerest apologies, Catherina Leanna Allaway." Cat's eyes widened at the sound of her full name, and she rose from the table quickly.

"How do you know that?" She said somewhat loudly.

"Know what, dearie?" Gold said a mocking tone in his voice.

"My name! No one in Storybrooke knows that, and you definitely don't deserve to!" Cat snapped, and Gold put a hand over his heart in mock hurt, which only made Cat even more flustered.

"What's the harm in it? I'm allowed to do a little bit of snooping. You are in my town, after all. Besides, it's a rather pretty name, isn't it?" Gold's voice lowered, and took a dark nature. His eyes seemed to darken slightly, and Cat backed away even further.

"Well, thanks to you, I won't be for long." Cat stormed off through the restaurant, and she rushed past the waiter that carried their food.

Gold cursed under his breath, and motioned to a nearby waiter. The man nodded in understanding, and unlocked the back door that led from the restaurant to the alleyway outside. Gold had hoped that he wouldn't have to follow her, but she was just as stubborn as she was over twenty-eight years ago. He slipped out of the booth, grabbing his cane and striding out the back door.

Cat had made it out of the front door, and she grabbed her bike. Never again, she thought. He already had a weapon against her. She didn't want anyone to know her real name, not even Ruby. She took on a false last name years ago in order to protect herself from people like Gold. Obviously, it wasn't working well enough. She pulled a single cigarette out of her pocket, remotely disfigured from the bike ride, and lit the end as she started to ride away. However, before she could make it to the street, Gold's silhouette stepped out in front of her from the side of the building. Cat skidded to halt to avoid hitting him, and glared at him with rage, her cigarette still hanging from her mouth. She should have just run him over.

"That's a rather nasty habit, isn't it, Miss Allaway?" He growled, darkness in his voice.

"What do you care?" Catherina snapped, and started to ride past him, but he planted a hand on the handlebars to stop her. He suddenly felt remorseful for taunting her when she was late.

"Catherina." His accent deepened, but Cat refused to look at him.

"What do you want from me?" She said quietly, and Gold exhaled loudly.

"It's not about what I want. Wouldn't you like to know why everyone that lives here treats you like vermin, and why this place has drawn you in anyways? Do you want to know why you're here?" Gold lowered his head to her ear, and was whispering these words to her like they were a dark secret.

"And why do you think so?" Cat mumbled, ready to hit him and run at any second.

Gold's voice lowered even further, and his grip on her handlebars tightened. She could smell him at this proximity, and he smelled of old pine needles and musk. It calmed her down a little when she breathed in, and found herself listening intently for him to speak.

"Fate, dearie. The rest, you'll just have to figure out on your own. Because, regardless of what you may think, you are very important. I care about what happens to you, Catherina, and whether or not I want to care does not matter. I have to." These words confused Cat, but she was mesmerized, and all she could do was nod her head in perplexity and fear.

"Well," Cat said suddenly, "I guess we'll just have to see where fate takes me." Cat sighed in defeat, and looked up at Gold's face. His eyes were deep with regret, and his face was twisted into sadness. He hated to drag her back into the life that only brought evil and darkness, but he needed to take her from this simplistic lifestyle and back into the life that mattered. Cat's eyes furrowed in confusion at Gold's expression, and he straightened himself up, stiffening his face back into his arrogant smirk. He set a hand on Catherina's arm, and cursed himself when she winced at his touch.

"I've suddenly lost my appetite. Come, it's nearing nighttime." He said, changing his tone back to normal.

"Where are you taking me?" Cat asked, nervous again.

"I'm taking you home, Miss Allaway. I can't have you riding around my town in the dark, you might scare the children." He said, and gave her a mocking smile. Cat sighed and sat her bike into the rather large trunk of Gold's Cadillac. He stepped over to the passenger side of the car and opened the door, balancing on his cane, and motioned for Cat to get in. As she lowered herself into the car, Gold wore a victorious, knowing smile. He shut the door of the car, which now contained his salvation and the key to achieving ultimate power.


	4. Chapter 4- A Distant Memory

"So, what do you do, Catherina?" Gold asked. They were riding on the dark road that led to her new home. The sun had set long ago, and they were left with a bright array of stars over their heads.

"Uh, nothing really. I'm kind of a wanderer." Catherina stammered. She didn't exactly want him to know that she was a failure at everything she did.

"There has to be something. Surely Granny's isn't your first job." Gold smirked at her, and she shuddered.

"I worked for a newspaper in Boston."

"Oh, really? What was it called?" Gold asked, a curious tone in his voice.

"Beacon Hill Times." Catherina said hesitantly.

"Ah, they're rather well known. It's good to hear that you've been so successful in your journalism career." Gold said, giving her a knowing look. Cat thought that he was just mocking her. He probably knew that she had lied about her degree in order to get that job, and that she was fired a few months later. After all, he had found out her real name, there was no doubt that he probably knew everything about her. She shrunk into the seat, hoping to escape his mocking glances.

"Is there anything else?" Gold pressed.

Cat froze. "Uh, well.. I'm a musician."

"And an artist." Gold interrupted. Cat shot a look in his direction, and he was giving her a wry smile.

"Why are you asking me if you already know?" Cat accused.

Gold chuckled. "I like to humor myself, Ms. Allaway." Cat crossed her arms in a fit and settled for looking out the window at the quiet night.

"You know, I own an antique shop. I'm a pawnbroker." Gold said.

"Yeah, I know. I've heard about you." Cat huffed.

Gold scoffed. "And what exactly have you heard about me?"

"Nothing that matters, really." Cat said with finality, and she could see Gold's leather-gloved hands tighten on the steering wheel in frustration.

He sighed. "Well, don't let that deter you, dearie. May I continue?"

Cat nodded, feeling somewhat guilty for disparaging him when he was giving her a ride home.

"I have a couple antique pianos in the back of my shop. Perhaps you would like to take a look at them sometime. They do need a bit of work, but if you'd like, you could diagnose those issues for me." Gold waved his hand lightly as he said it, as if it didn't matter to him, but it was also an offer of truce.

Cat's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Really?" she asked quietly.

"Would I lie to you?" Gold smiled, and Cat's eyes narrowed at his sarcasm. "If you wish, come to my shop after you finish your shift at Granny's. You could have a look then."

"I won't be off until late, probably eight o'clock." Cat said defensively.

"No matter, I'll open up the shop for you when you arrive." Gold offered, and Cat shook her head.

"It's too late, and I'm sure an old man like you has an early bed time." Cat shot, her tone becoming sarcastic as she tried to tease him. However, he didn't seem fazed by the comment; he only kept his gaze on the road.

"I don't sleep." He said simply.

"Rubbish. Everyone needs sleep, Gold." Cat smirked at him.

He chuckled. "Apparently I don't. I prefer to spin."

"Spin?" Cat asked, slightly confused.

"Yes. You know the tales; Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger on a magic spinning wheel, and Rumpelstiltskin spins straw into gold." He said nonchalantly, and Cat's heart thumped at the last remark, no reason for it, but she could feel her heart tighten. "I spin in my spare time; it helps me forget my troubles."

"What troubles could you possibly have? You're the richest man in Storybrooke, and no one would dare to cross you." Cat pressed, trying to get him to lose his composure.

"Oh I have many more troubles than you think, dearie." Gold said as he finally pulled into Cat and Ruby's driveway. He glanced in her direction, waiting for her to either say something in return, or to just get out of his car.

When Cat remained silent and unmoving, Gold sighed in finality.

"Tomorrow, then. I'll be waiting." He said, and Cat looked over to him. His eyes were gleaming with mischief, and they burned into her eyes with their intensity. He held her gaze for a moment, and Cat was frozen in fear and curiosity. She tore her gaze away and sighed.

"Tomorrow." She said, and she stepped out of the car, retrieving her bike from his trunk, and watching as he backed out of the driveway. When his car has disappeared out of sight, she set the bike on the front porch and strode inside.

Ruby was waiting for her on the couch, a glass of wine in her hand and a bottle on the table. She was watching television, and jumped when Cat walked in.

"Well?" Ruby exclaimed. "Any pictures?"

Cat chuckled. "No, unfortunately. I think I got a job instead."

Ruby made a noise of protest as she rose from the couch.

"Doing what? Polishing the blood off of his cane?" Ruby exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Playing his pianos." Cat said simply, and Ruby's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "And telling him what needs to be fixed." Cat finished.

"Cat, he's tricking you. He doesn't just make friends with people for no reason, he only uses people. That's probably why he's such a grouch, he's an antisocial, conniving asshole, and you're probably his next victim." Ruby spoke these words with caution, as if Gold was watching them at that moment, but also with defiance and concern for Cat's safety.

"I know, I've heard some of the stories. I don't know, my mind just went blank when he spoke to me, and I just said yes. Besides, what do you think he would have done if I said no?" Cat retorted, and Ruby looked down at the floor.

"I just want you to be careful, if you're going to hang out with him anyways. I don't want to see you beaten to a bloody pulp." Ruby said, looking up at Cat with sad eyes.

Cat laughed. "It's a little late for that, don't you think?" She said, pointing to the nasty bruise that was still throbbing on her temple.

Ruby shoved Cat teasingly. "That doesn't help, Cat." She chuckled. "Let's just go to bed, we have to work early tomorrow."

"Am I taking the couch again?" Cat said, remembering the fearful events from the night before.

"Didn't you notice? Your stuff came in today from Boston. It's all in the spare bedroom, and there's already a bed in there."

Cat smiled gratefully at Ruby, and strode down the hallway. When she opened the last door on the left, she gasped slightly. All of the walls were painted a stark white, the bed sheets were a deep red color, and the floor was polished wood with a light brown color. The interior design was truly remarkable, and the way that the moon shone through her window that night gave the room another intriguing quality. A few boxes and Cat's cello sat in the middle of the room, and for some reason, she couldn't wait to unpack her things.

Ruby stepped behind Cat and peered into the room. "You can paint the walls if you want; I know it's a little drab." She said nonchalantly. Cat turned to her in surprise.

"Why would I do that? It's lovely, Ruby. Definitely a step up from the shack I had in Boston." Cat mused, admiring the large windows and the overall atmosphere of the room. Cat knew that she would sleep well in this room because it was so pleasant, and it would chase away the nightmares that always tormented her in her old apartment.

Ruby laughed. "Thanks. Don't hesitate to change anything if you need to. I'll see you in the morning, and be up by seven." She said with finality, and fled through the door across from Cat's on the right, shutting the door quietly. Cat was left goggling at her suite. She wasn't used to cute cottages with large bedrooms and front lawns. It was all pretty new to her, but she was glad that she was allowed to get used to it. She walked over to her cello, taking it out of the case and admiring it. It was a deep cherry wood color, with a characteristic tiger-stripe pattern on its back. She ran her hand over the smooth surface, eager to bring music again, but she didn't want to disturb Ruby. Perhaps another time she could sit down and play the instrument that has brought her comfort over the years.

Cat finally decided to lay down on the soft bed, not slipping under the covers, but instead staring at the ceiling in thought. Tomorrow would be a long day, indeed, and she hoped that it would be successful. She thought of Gold; his irritating ability to find out everything about someone, but also his eyes and the way they gleamed. They held emotions that only confused her; mischief, wonder, and sadness. She didn't know how she could read his eyes so easily, and she had never met him before. However, the way that he irked her and irritated her to no end seemed slightly familiar. _It must have been someone else_, she thought. She was starting to fade off to sleep, the image of his eyes stamped in her mind, but also the feeling of an inevitable, descending darkness.

_I'm remarkably good at persuasion. _Gold thought as he stepped into his large house. _I didn't even feel the need to use magic that time. Not that I could, anyways. No matter, words are still more powerful than any magic. _

His home, as always, was just a lonely fortress, longing for someone other than Gold. It had been occupied once, by more than just himself, but that was before the curse had taken hold. He missed that other presence, her cheery mood, and her fair face.

_One must sacrifice love for power, unfortunately. _He shuddered to himself at the thought of her dark fate, being driven to suicide by her own father, and Gold hated himself for letting her go. However, he knew that she wouldn't come back, and although it tore his heart in half, he had to move on from the past. The past can't be repeated, no matter the circumstances, and they were definitely not in Gold's favor.

He knew that he was trying to repeat the past, but this situation was far more different than Belle. He was luring Catherina back into the life that she once wanted to escape, back into the evil and the darkness that resided within her. Once the curse was broken, she wouldn't regret gaining back her memories because she would, once again, become the terrifying, maleficent being that she once was. She was much like him, blinded by power when it was obtained and ruthless by all means. Gold felt guilty for his actions and the actions that have yet to be committed.

_Well_, he thought_, we will both have the same interests anyways, once the curse is broken. She will be thanking me soon enough. _Gold smirked to himself, and he proceeded down into his basement where his spinning wheel sat quietly.

It had been a long day of work. Although it was only her second day, she seemed to be getting the hang of things, despite the customers' hostility. She had chosen to ignore the dirty looks, and it seemed to be working at the moment. She was starting to enjoy working, but the time only seemed to drag on. It was only seven o'clock, and she was eager to get to Gold's shop in an hour.

"In a hurry?" Ruby raised an eyebrow at Cat as she watched her wipe down the tables furiously.

"No, no. Just…nervous." Cat stammered.

"Are you going to Gold's shop tonight?" Ruby asked, scanning her face and seemingly reading her thoughts.

"Yeah, at eight." Cat said, and Ruby sighed.

"I'm not your mother, so I won't stop you." Ruby said. "But please be careful. I don't want to have to rip anybody's throat out."

Cat smirked, and Ruby winked at her. Ruby had an extreme distaste for Mr. Gold, especially after what he had done to Cat, which included breaking and entering onto her property. If she had the choice, she would take out Gold for herself. Unfortunately, Cat seemed to be a googly-eyed over him, so she might be a little pissed at Ruby if he mysteriously disappeared. _I'll leave him alone until he screws up again_, Ruby thought.

"Why don't you clock out a little early?" Ruby said, and Cat grinned. "I don't want you to be late to your next meeting." She smirked.

"Really? Thanks!" Cat said, and she ran to the back to put away her apron and to clock out. When she had disappeared from sight, Ruby pulled out her phone.

_Cat's going to Gold's shop. Keep an eye on her for me. _She typed, and sent the message to Emma Swan, Storybrooke's new sheriff. If anything were to happen, Ruby would be able to get there as soon as it happened. Her phone vibrated a few seconds later.

_Gotcha. Looks like I can execute another stakeout with Henry. _

Ruby chuckled at the message, but shoved her phone back into her pants when she saw Cat approaching.

"So…you're sure this is ok? I won't get in trouble for this?" Cat said cautiously.

Ruby shook her head. "It's too slow to be having more than a couple people on the clock anyways. If Granny says anything, I'll take the blame." She smirked at Cat, and Cat grinned back, striding to the door and waving on her way out. Ruby exhaled loudly. She felt impatient, but she knew that waiting would be her best option instead of following her. She reassured herself that if anything were to happen, then Emma would call her right away.

She hoped so.

Her stomach was jumping up and down in her stomach as she walked towards Gold's shop, which she could see right down the street, and her nervousness grew as she anticipated her next encounter with Mr. Gold. She didn't understand why she was so excited. Maybe because she had been working all day, thinking about what his shop would look like, what kind of pianos he would have her look at, and also what he would share with her. He had only sparked her curiosity at their dinner the night before, and she wanted at least a few answers, regardless of whether or not they were a load of bull.

The sign loomed above her head, drawing her in with its lettering.

_Mr. Gold_

_Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer_

Cat took a deep breath, mustering all of her courage, swallowing her fear, and opening the door.

A bell rang as she opened the door, and when she stepped inside she was surprised at how dimly-lit the shop was. There was some lighting on the walls, and colorful desk lamps adorning the counters, but it wasn't much at nighttime. She scanned the room, eyes widening at its contents. It was filled with ancient, valuable items. Paintings, mirrors, and tapestries covered the walls. Every glass counter was crowded and filled with trinkets as well as items that looked much more valuable. It was like hitting the jackpot when thrift shopping, but there were just too many things. It seemed to overwhelm anyone who walked in, as if everything would fall on them at once. Gold stepped out from behind the curtain, and was surprised to see Catherina standing in front of the counter.

"My, my, someone's early." Gold mused, his voice soft after being by himself for most of the day.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can come back if you want." Cat said quietly, pointing her thumb at the door.

"Please, make yourself comfortable. It's the perfect time; I was just finishing up some work. Would you care for a tour?" Gold smiled, waving his hand around him, gesturing to the contents of his shop.

"It's fine, really. I would probably trip and break something." Cat said quietly, and Gold made a noise of dismissal, setting both hands on his cane.

"Very well then, if you would like to get down to business, I have two pianos in the back that I would like for you to look at." He gestured behind him to the curtain, and Cat smiled slightly as he held the curtain for her to walk through. As Gold started to follow her, he paused, turning around to peer out of his window. He spotted Sheriff Swan's yellow beetle parked across the street, and he could see her figure in the car seat, watching him intently. When she noticed him staring back at her, she quickly turned and pretended to be talking to her son. Gold chuckled at the sight, and winked at Ms. Swan as she snuck a glance back in his direction. He turned, continuing into back room of his shop, out of the sight of Ms. Swan or any passerby. Even if those pianos were in the front, he still would have brought Catherina back her only because he knew it would annoy Ms. Swan.

"Shit. I lost sight of them." Emma hissed.

"Mom! Don't curse!" Henry whined, and Emma sighed.

"Sorry, kid." She said as she pulled out her phone.

_Getting of work soon? He took her to the back, I can't see them anymore._ She typed furiously, and sent it to Ruby.

"It's not much different than the front of your shop." Catherina said, bringing Gold out of his thoughts. He blinked at her, then remembered why she was there in the first place.

"Ah, yes. They're right over there. Knock yourself out." Gold pointed his cane at two stand up pianos sitting side by side. Catherina bit her lip, then strode quickly to the first one, opening the lid and peering at the mechanics inside.

"Well, I can see the problem. It's kind of obvious, really." Catherina chuckled as she examined its contents.

"And what's that, dearie?" Gold scoffed at her remark.

"Most of the hammers are missing. That's probably why your piano won't make any sound." Catherina pointed into the piano and motioned for Gold to look. He scooted next to her, appearing clueless as he looked inside, but also dumbfounded at the closeness of Catherina's small figure next to his.

He breathed loudly, composing himself before she could notice. "How much will this cost to fix?"

"Quite a bit, to be honest. But it will make the whole thing worth a lot more in the long run, if you're looking to sell it. It would be worth the expense." Catherina said, making her way to the other piano that sat a few feet away, and opening the lid to that one as well. Gold followed her, drawn in by her scent and her flowing red hair. However, as he made it way towards her, he reached out nonchalantly towards the wall, and pulled out a staff, the one which still haunted him. He was very surprised that he had gotten a hold of it after what happened. He set it upright on the first piano with a clank, but Catherina didn't seem to notice.

"Well, some of these strings are rusted, and all of the hammers are there, but for some reason they aren't making it all the way to the string when I hit a key. It's something mechanical, I would probably have to take it apart more to figure out the issue. I'm sure the repair man could do that." Catherina rambled, but Gold was hardly listening. He was watching her intently, waiting for her to look up and see it. _Look up! For your own sake, look up!_ He thought.

"And how much will that cost?" Gold said absent-mindedly.

Cat chuckled. "More than a few hammers, probably around…." She trailed off as she looked up from the piano, gazing at Gold's expression, and then at the object behind him.

Her heart seemed to stop, turning into an iron ball and weighing down on her chest. It was a large staff, taller than her, with spiraling wood in the middle. At the end of the rod sat a large glass globe, with crystals glowing inside of it.

"W-what is that?" She whispered.

"It's yours, dearie. Do you remember?" Gold pressed, reaching out and setting his hand on her shoulders. Her eyes had become cloudy, and she was looking past him at the staff. "You must remember!" He shook her slightly, as if that would jog her memory, but she only held her head in confusion.

"I'm trying…but I…" Catherina trailed off once again.

"Please!" Gold's breathing quickened. He was so close, and he was not about to lose it again. He didn't want to wait for that ridiculous curse to be broken. "You must remember, Catherina! Tell me why you are here!" He shook her again, but she was stuck in a daze.

"HEY! Get your hands off of her, you freak!" Gold spun around to see Ruby standing at the curtain with her hands on her hips. He cursed Ms. Swan again, assuming that she must have contacted Ruby.

"This is none of your concern." Gold said through clenched teeth, his anger growing.

"You're damn right it's none of my concern!" Ruby said sarcastically, and shoved past Gold to get to Catherina. Gold backed away, trying to breathe through his nose and contain his anger.

"Come on Cat, I'm getting you away from this freakshow." Ruby snapped.

"What…?" Cat said, still in a stupor.

"I'm sure you could have gotten into her pants _without_ drugging her, Gold." Ruby spat in his direction, and Gold made a noise of protest. Ruby led Catherina from the shop, ignoring Gold's attempt at an explanation, and the bell sounded loudly as the door slammed shut.

"Damn it!" Gold shouted, swinging his cane at everything in his path; a table, a wardrobe with glass paneling, and one of those wretched pianos. He shouted in anger at his failed attempt. Glass shattered, sounding through the shop and leaving Gold panting, hunched over in frustration.

"Damn it." He hissed.

**A/N: I dropped a couple hints regarding Cat's role in Storybrooke! I hope I didn't make it obvious, though. Thanks for the follows/favs/ and reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5-Secrets

Catherina awoke back in her room, still dressed in her uniform, but the covers were pulled neatly over her. She remembered her dreams clearly, but they were more like nightmares. In her dream, she was engulfed in flames, screaming with rage for an unknown reason. She thought it was odd that Regina was there, cowering in fear and shouting apologies. Gold was there, too, standing quietly in the background. However, his appearance had changed in her dream, and she saw him as a hideous creature, with skin shining like a reptile's and eyes gleaming like a cat's.

_Gold, _she thought. Where he was at that moment she didn't know, as well as what had happened to bring her back into her bed. She could remember everything up to the moment she saw the staff he had shown her. The rest was a blur, but maybe he had brought her home that night. Cat slipped out of bed, her head fuzzy and her steps wobbly. The light shined in from the windows, reflecting off of the white walls and creating a soothing light. The light hurt her eyes, and judging by the sun's position at her window, she could tell it was early morning.

As she approached her bedroom door, she could hear muffled shouting. Curious, she peeked out of her door and down the hallway, hoping she wouldn't be seen. Ruby was standing at the front door, her back turned to Cat, and her hands on her hips. Mr. Gold was standing on the other side of the door frame with his hands resting on his cane.

"There's nothing to explain, Gold!" Ruby shouted. "I don't want you going near her ever again! You've proved that you're only interested in harming her, you manipulative scum!"

Gold winced at the remark. He knew it was true, but definitely not in the way that this woman thought. He had merely tried to jog her memory, and it must have been the effect of the curse that had caused Catherina's behavior. He didn't _drug_ her, he hardly knew what a date rape drug even was. The only way he could have sedated her was through magic, but he couldn't use magic yet. However, getting Ruby to believe that would be difficult.

"Let me speak with her. Perhaps then she can tell you what actually happened, and I guarantee that doesn't involve any drug use…unless she was using them beforehand." Gold stated, smirking at Ruby's anger.

"She's not a druggie, Gold! And you're not speaking to her. Ever!" Ruby shouted, ready to slam the door on his smug little face. "Besides, she's still out like a light."

"Drugs?" Catherina shot from the hallway, and both Ruby and Gold looked surprised as they turned towards her. "Are you saying I'm on drugs, Gold?"

"Catherina.." Gold said, his voice lowering in an attempt to sooth her. He reached an arm out to her and tried to step in the doorway. "Please, let me explain this."

"Not happening!" Ruby yelled, and she closed the door tightly. She locked the door, leaving Gold outside with his fists clenched as he set his forehead on it.

"Well, what the hell was all of that about? Open the door Ruby." Catherina stated in confusion. She tried to push past Ruby, but that woman was a lot stronger than she looked.

"You're not going anywhere, Cat."

"Why the bloody hell not?" Cat said with irritation rising in her voice.

"You really don't remember, do you? You seem to forget things a lot, especially after getting whacked in the head by the very person that is causing this whole mess!" Ruby shot, and Cat shrank back a little bit. Ruby noticed Cat's unease, and lowered her voice. "He _drugged_ you Cat. If Emma hadn't called me, I wouldn't have been there to rescue you from whatever he was planning for you."

"What, Emma?" Cat said with hurt rising in her voice. "You had her spying on me?"

"If I hadn't, you could be at the bottom of a river right now." Ruby said with finality. "You're not seeing him again."

"Well, I appreciate the concern, but I don't think it's necessary." Cat snapped. "You don't know what happened, and you certainly don't need to be sending your henchmen to find out. He didn't give me any drugs, he didn't even offer me a drink. If he's dangerous, I would know!"

"Cat.. if you're still set on seeing this guy…" Ruby hesitated. "I can't let you live here. If something were to happen to you, I would be responsible! If you're going to be living here, you can't be running off with old men that want to rape and kill you! You're my best friend, but I can't allow that to happen in my house. It's either me or him, Cat! " Ruby said. Tears were rising in her eyes, and Catherina immediately regretted her remarks. She reached out to Ruby and brought her into a hug. They stood there for a moment, both of them sniffling and apologizing to each other.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Cat started, holding her friend tight. "I shouldn't have let him come between us. If you really want me to, I won't talk to him anymore."

"Thanks Cat." Ruby sniffed, and they both released each other. "We should get ready for work; we have to be there in an hour." Cat nodded and started to walk towards her bedroom.

_Shit_, Cat thought, _how am I ever going to get the truth?_ She wanted to find out who the owner of that staff was, who the people of Storybrooke really were, and who she was as well. Gold seemed to be the only one that provided any answers for her, and now that was lost due to some misunderstanding that Cat still couldn't remember. Maybe she could find some answers of her own. She had spotted a library on her way into town, and although it didn't seem open for business, maybe she could find a way inside to do some research on Storybrooke's history.

A few minutes later, Ruby was calling for Cat from the hallway as Cat freshened up from the day before.

"C'mon, Cat! We have to go!" Ruby called.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Hold your horses, woman!" Cat remarked playfully.

"I'm gonna let my horses trample your door down if you don't hurry." Ruby smirked.

Mr. Gold was back in his shop, cursing under his breath as he prepared to open the store. He dreaded it; he did not want to deal with people today, he only wanted to deal with Catherina, to apologize. He had been teasing her, and now it was time to give her real answers, if only there was a way to do that. He didn't know whether or not Catherina wanted to speak with him, but he did know that her friend wouldn't allow it. Perhaps she threatened Catherina in some way, or the alternative was that she had convinced Catherina that he was indeed a conniving pervert. He needed to speak with her in order to convince her of the truth, because if he couldn't, she might not join his side once the curse was broken. However, it was starting to become less important that she chose his side, but that he would follow her, whichever side she did choose. He wanted to be near her, to protect her, and also to harness her power and reap it for his benefit.

_It's rather vile, isn't it? _Gold thought for a moment, but then he smirked to himself. _But, just look at me! I'm a vile creature. _Gold chuckled, walking through his shop and swinging his cane as if he was performing for an audience. However, the room was dark, empty, and frightening, and he loved it. He lost his sense of mind, and could only think malicious thoughts. He didn't care if she lost her power, or if she even died after he was through with her, he only wanted her to help him carry out the deed of killing Regina and bringing them home, then he'll dump her into a new prison, just like before.

"No..No!" Gold said, smacking himself on the forehead. He could feel the Dark One taking over his mind, and normally he would welcome it. This time, however, he wanted to subdue those evil tendencies. He wanted her to live, not only to work for him, but perhaps to redeem the time lost over these past twenty-eight years. She was indeed powerful, and she has suffered far too much to die now. Maybe she could even help him find his son before everyone left this world. He leaned on the glass counters of his shop and sighed at his possessions.

"Bae.."

"Just give me a couple of blueberry bagels to go, please." Emma said across the counter. Cat nodded, and started to fill a paper bag with her order.

"Hey, I'm sorry about last night, Cat. I got a call from Ruby. She's really looking out for you, ya know." Emma sighed, and Cat grinned in return, although he was grimacing on the inside.

"Don't worry about it; I should be thanking you. Who knows what could have happened if you hadn't been there." Cat said. She was trying her best not to sound sarcastic, and she didn't want to raise any suspicions.

"Oh, well...good!" Emma smiled. Catherina handed her the paper bag, and eyed Emma curiously when she was handed a ten dollar bill.

"Keep the change."

"Oh, no I couldn't take that much-"Cat started, but Emma cut her off.

"No, really, it's fine. You've been working hard enough as it is." Emma said, and Cat smiled appreciatively at Emma's gratuity and sign of truce.

"Thank you."

As Emma left the diner, Cat couldn't help but notice the dark silhouette that passed on the sidewalk. It was moving too quickly for her to see clearly, but she was startled at the mere glimpse. As the figure passed, it brought a gloomy darkness behind it, and Cat was frightened until she noticed that it was just a raincloud passing overhead. She soon forgot her fears, and she smiled as she pictured herself playing in the rain that was soon to come, although she was stuck in the diner.

Ruby noticed Cat grinning to herself as the thunder sounded and shook the diner, and figured that she would give Cat a break from absent-mindedly wiping down one spot on the counter.

"Hey, Cat. Why don't you take some of this trash out for me? The dumpster is in the back alley." Ruby said, and Cat started, waking from her daydream.

"Thanks, Rubes." Cat grinned, and picked up the two trash bags that sat on the kitchen floor. She was happy to get some fresh air compared to the musty smell of Granny's. She didn't even mind the stench that bit her face as she stepped out of the back door. As she made her way to the alley a few yards away, the first raindrops started to hit her face. She raised her face to the sky, reveling in the freedom that it brought her.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Allaway." A familiar voice said. Cat jumped, searching her surroundings for its source. As she peeked around the wooden fence that led to the alley, she spotted Gold. He was grim faced, as if he had lost something important in these past few hours. She narrowed her eyes at him, and quickly shot her eyes back to the back door of Granny's before stepping closer to him.

"You can't be here, Gold." Cat whispered. She continued to look around for any sign of Ruby.

"I believe I can, Catherina. It's my town. I own this alleyway, so I have a right to stand in it." Gold smirked, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"Do you know what will happen if someone sees us? I could lose my home." Catherina shot.

"Well then, you are more than welcome to stay with me, dearie."

Cat scoffed. "In your dreams." She started to turn back, but Gold's hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks.

"Speaking of dreams, how did you sleep last night?" Gold asked, and Cat's heart froze in place.

"W-what are you talking about?" Catherina stammered.

"Oh, you know, delving into your memories can often call for some nasty nightmares." Gold sneered at her, narrowing his eyes in a knowing manner.

"You don't know anything, Gold." Cat defended, even though she knew that he was right.

"I know that I didn't sedate you." Gold stated. "And I'm sure you know that as well."

"Yeah, I know. Although it's not like I can argue with Ruby about that. I kind of like living with her." She said, a little louder.

"Well, forgetting that little incident, let's get to the point of why I'm here." Gold said as he took his hand off of her shoulder and set it on his cane, perhaps in an attempt to look intimidating.

"And what is that?" Cat said, a little perplexed by his gaze, but she wouldn't show it.

"I'm aware that you're looking for answers, and I can give them to you." Gold said nonchalantly.

"I don't think I have time for that right now, _dearie." _Cat mocked. "I'm in the middle of my shift."

"Of course not, you foolish girl." Gold said, and rolled his eyes at Catherina's scoffing. "I have a little more class than you might think. I'm inviting you into my home this evening, and I'm hoping you'll be smart enough to accept this kind offer."

Cat rolled her eyes this time. "Don't you realize that I can't? Ruby would just follow me again, and what could I even tell her?"

"I don't believe your friend knows where I live, dearie. Perhaps you could tell her that you're taking a long walk." Gold suggested, waving his hand.

"Do you expect her to believe that?" Cat asked.

"You'll come up with something." Gold muttered in finality.

Cat sighed. "Fine, I'll see what I can do. Seven o'clock?" Cat said. His eyes seemed to brighten at this remark, and showed a tiny hint of a genuine smile. His hair was starting to stick to his face from the rain. Cat smiled, not only to return his, but also at the first expression of kindness in Gold's face.

"Then it's a date." Gold said softly.

Cat smirked. "In your dreams." She finally turned back towards the diner and made her way to the door.

"You'll have to tell me about yours later, dearie!" He called after her.

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter was short, I promise the next one will be much longer! Secrets will be revealed, at least some of them, anyways. Thanks for reading, and I'll post the next chapter ASAP since this one was so short! **


	6. Chapter 6-Your Perception of Reality

It was nearing the end of Catherina's shift, and she was still trying to think of a believable excuse to come home late in order to sneak off to Gold's house. _I'm going for a cup of coffee_, Cat thought._ I need to get my oil changed. No, I don't even own a car. _Cat sighed. _Maybe I should tell her that I'm going to the library to clean things up? It'll have to do. _

"Ruby?" Cat said as she approached her friend at the counter.

"What is it, Cat?" Ruby said, and Cat could see that there was still concern from that morning residing in her eyes.

"I'm going to the library after work."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "It's closed."

"I know," Cat started, trying to redeem herself before Ruby lost interest. "I want to see if I can get things cleaned up in there, and maybe check out some of the books on Storybrooke."

Ruby's face was filled with confusion, but she slowly nodded her head in acceptance. "You do know that there could be homeless people in there, right?" She chuckled.

Cat winked. "I think I can manage." Ruby smiled at her remark, and Cat took off her apron, hanging it on its hook by the counter and turning to Ruby. "It's seven o'clock, the end of my day I suppose."

Ruby chuckled. "Until tomorrow, Cat. Don't be too late."

As Cat left the diner, she stuck around for a minute by one of the windows. From the window, she could see Ruby typing away on her phone. _Emma_, she thought. She would have to take extra precautions to make sure that the sheriff didn't see her sneaking off down the road. As she approached the library across the street, she was struck back by its size and the large clock tower that loomed over the town. The huge hands of the clock moved slowly, with rust on its edges and an irritating squeak as they worked. The doors had a couple of boards nailed to the doors, but there was no real effort put into keeping people out. She pulled off the boards, despite the broken window that she could have climbed through, and swung open the heavy doors.

Immediately, they smell of musty books hit her nose. Cat breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent of her passion, literature. Shelves filled the room on both sides, and although the place was old, the front circulation desk looked rather new. She thought it was peculiar, considering the fact that no one had worked her in ages, yet the front circulation area looked recently renovated. As she looked around, it was difficult to miss the giant elevator in the center wall. It was bright red, with gears and buttons that all looked very intimidating. It gave her a woozy feeling, much like the way she felt when she was in Gold's shop, gazing at that bloody staff. She didn't even dare to use the elevator. She assumed that whoever built it didn't want anyone to go up to the clock tower, or perhaps to the basement. She stepped past the large red doors, ignoring the knot in her stomach and looking for a back door. She hoped that she could escape Emma's stakeout vision if she could slip out of a back door and through an alleyway. Luckily, she spotted a small side- door that led to the back of the building, and from there she could make her escape. However, before she did, she grabbed two books from a shelf. She didn't look at their titles, she only wanted them to prove to Ruby where she had been. She took one last look at the library, and she hoped that she could come back and do some real reading here sometime soon. It was a quiet escape from the ravages of Ruby, and as well as Gold.

She slipped out of the door, and although she could see Emma's yellow bug, Cat was concealed by a rather large holly-berry bush. Emma was in her car alone, watching the library intently, and Cat was relieved when she realized that she had left the lights on. It wouldn't raise any suspicions, and she could turn them off when she snuck back through the building. It was Emma's job to watch over Storybrooke and to protect it, but in a town of hardly any crime, Emma had to resort to spying on her friends, which Cat thought was a little pathetic. She knew that there was some sentimental aspect to it, but maybe she could tone down the creepy, just a little.

Cat successfully slipped out of Emma's sight, and soon she couldn't see the library anymore. She pulled out the slip of paper that Gold had given her that day with his address on it. The street name was unfamiliar, but he had written instructions on how to find it from Granny's, so she wasn't lost and asking people where the old geezer's house was. It didn't take her long, just a few turns and a climb up a hill. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the house that she was looking for. It was huge, with towers branching off from it and roofs so high you lost sight of them. It was magnificent, yet traditional, and it captured the eyes of anyone who happened to pass by.

It was_ pink. _

Gold was hoping that Catherina was able to leave without any suspicion, but the clock was nearing seven –thirty. Maybe he should give up on this little endeavor. He wanted her on his side when the curse was broken, so maybe he should just threaten her into fighting on his side. _No_, he thought. He could make it easy on himself, but he didn't want to. He would rather her join him on her own accord, and her power would be far greater if she did. He wanted to talk to her and convince her that the curse and the Enchanted Forest were real, as well as her true identity. After she believed him, if she did, he could convince her that his actions were honorable, and that Regina needed to die.

He poured two glasses of red wine, hoping that Catherina would trust him enough to take the offer. She had plenty of reason not to trust him; he was in fact an old, lonely man that enjoyed mocking her and luring her into questionable situations. He would never hurt her, well, except for that night when she came barreling out of her house, iron rod in hand, and nearly gave him a heart attack. Perhaps he was much older than he thought. After all, he stopped counting the years after the second century.

The doorbell ringing made him look up in surprise. Through the stained glass, the light of the setting sun revealed the figure of a woman standing at his door. His heart jumped when he realized who it was, and he rushed towards the door, cane in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. His eyes gleamed in wonder as he opened the door. There she was, looking up at him with those icy blue eyes that could pierce the devil's soul. Her fiery red hair only added to the contrast between her skin and eyes. _The red hair is new_, he thought, but he liked it much better than her old style. Her hair hung down, well past her shoulders, in large spirals. It was kinked in some places from the day's work, and he could imagine brushing out her hair and feeling its texture. _Truly beautiful_, his mind wandered, _such a pity that a creature like her should have such a dark fate. _He blinked suddenly, trying to shake the thoughts from his head and concentrate on his objective.

"Is that your natural hair color?" Gold asked, trying to make small talk, but not quite intending on asking that particular question.

"Er.. Yeah. Why do you ask?" Catherina said, scratching her arm nervously. He slapped himself mentally at his loss for words, when he was normally an expert with them.

Gold recovered and smirked at Catherina. "It suits you. Would you like a drink?" He extended the hand that held the glass of wine, and he could see her hesitation when she saw it.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Catherina said slowly.

Gold chuckled. "I didn't put anything in it, dearie. I can test it out for you, if you'd like."

Catherina grinned slightly at the remark, and hesitantly took the glass from his hand. When she took a sip, she was surprised by the flavors that hit her tongue and their quality. She could tell that it was very expensive wine. _Gold must think that this is an actual date, _she thought.

"Please, come in. We have much to discuss." Gold moved to the side, gesturing with his free hand for her to enter. Cat's stomach lurched at his remark, and she slowly stepped inside after giving Gold a nervous glance. His house was a close resemblance of his pawn shop; dusty and old fashioned. However, she enjoyed the marvelous antiques that adorned the walls and the large, Victorian furniture seen in the living room. She almost wanted to mock him for his choice of color on the outside of his house, but she was too impressed by what was inside of the house to even speak.

"Do you like it?" Gold said softy. As Cat looked at him, she noticed that his eyes had grown softer as he watched her.

"It's so beautiful." Cat breathed.

Gold chuckled. "I'm glad to see that someone appreciates my collections."

"Why wouldn't anyone love this?" Cat asked, a little flustered.

"It's not really the objects that they loathe; more so how I acquired them." Gold said cautiously, and Cat gave him a curious look.

"What do you mean?" Cat asked. Gold sighed, setting his cane on the wall and leaning on the hall table in front of Catherina. He crossed his arms, and his eyes were darting upwards, as if he was trying to find the right words.

"If you don't want to tell me, it's okay. Although I am pretty good at keeping a secret." Cat winked, and Gold twisted his face at her.

"No no, I want nothing more than to tell you the truth, but the aftermath is what I'm afraid of."

"Stop giving me the run-around, Gold. If you weren't planning on telling me anything about these past couple of days, you shouldn't have invited me over." Cat was fuming at this point, frustrated at his attitude. She stood there, glowering at him in such a way that made Gold feel smaller. He knew it was her past-self rising within her, and it was time for him to make the connection.

"I make deals." He said simply.

"I think I already knew that." Cat snapped, and Gold shook his head, smirking and tittering at her.

"Oh, but my deals are much more different than the one's I make in my pawnshop, dearie. " Gold chuckled, and Cat only gave him a confused look.

"So, what? You make deals in Boston, New York? What's the harm in that?" Cat remarked.

"These deals were made much farther from here." Gold sighed. "And they required a payment of much higher value than money or a few trinkets."

"Like what?" Cat asked, interested, yet still completely lost.

"Oh, you know; treason…murder…and let's not forget magic." Gold breathed. At this point he was speaking so close to her face she could smell his scent again, and her eyes grew wide at his last sentence.

"Okay! I think it's time for me to go!" Cat said quickly. She started for the open door, but it was slammed closed in front of her before she could escape. Gold's hand was on the door, holding it shut and blocking her pathway. She looked at him with wide eyes, and he recognized fear.

"Now, before you run off thinking that I'm a loony old man, you might want to reconsider sitting in that chair over there," He pointed a finger to the living room, but did not break his gaze. "And listen to the rest of my story, dearie."

"I don't know what you're trying here, Gold, but you can't faze me with your bullshit this time." Cat spat, trying to move around him, but he wouldn't budge. He locked eyes with hers again; his eyes so dark that she doubted that he had any.

"Humor me." He whispered.

A couple of minutes later, Catherina and Mr. Gold sat in eerie silence, wine glasses in hand, and the house seemed to be brooding over Catherina.

"So, where should I begin?" Gold said playfully.

"Start with why you invited me over here." Cat muttered.

"To answer your questions." Gold stated.

"Yes, but what questions do you think I need answers to?" Catherina raised her voice slightly.

"To whom that lovely staff I showed you the other night belongs to, why you've been having strange dreams, and why everyone in Storybrooke is so strange." Gold winked at her.

"And what makes you think that you know the answers to all of those questions?" Cat snapped, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Well, besides Regina, I seem to be the only one around here who remembers anything."

Cat's eyes narrowed again. "What are you talking about?"

"Since we're playing twenty questions here, how about I start asking questions?" Gold mocked. "Why don't you tell me about your dream, dearie?"

Cat hesitated, but when she saw the look in his eyes, eager and frightening, she decided to give him something that would feed whatever fantasy he had placed himself in.

"I was engulfed in flames. I wasn't on fire, I was just in the middle of some inferno. Regina was there, and so were you." Catherina said almost sarcastically.

"Why did you see Regina and I?" Gold pressed, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"Maybe my mind was showing me the two people I fear most in Storybrooke."

Gold scoffed. "Nonsense, Regina fears _you, _and I doubt that you're afraid of me. In fact, you probably think I am just insane at the moment."

"If you're looking for help, Gold, I'm not a psychiatrist. I can't help you." Cat spat. Gold held his hand to his chest in mock hurt.

"I'm not looking for help, dearie. I'm just simply trying to enlighten you to what's _really_ happening in Storybrooke." He hissed, and Cat shrank back a little bit.

"Do your worst." Cat muttered, and Gold smirked in satisfaction.

And, so, he did. He spoke of magic, light and dark, good and evil, and the desperate souls of the ones who fell to darkness. He told her the story of Snow White and Prince Charming, but it was much longer and more complicated that the childhood fairytale she had heard when she was young. He listed off almost every fairytale she could think of and connected them with the residents of Storybrooke; Snow White to the school teacher, Mary Margaret, and Regina to the evil queen.

"I was the most powerful out of everyone, and I am the one that created the curse to bring us all here." Gold said quietly. He had his back turned to her, perhaps to avoid seeing the look of shock and disbelief on Catherina's face.

"Then who are you?" Cat asked somewhat impatiently.

"Why, Rumpelstiltskin, of course." Gold turned to her and gave a bow.

Catherina snorted. "You've baffled me again, Gold." She said sarcastically. "If the Enchanted Forest was real, why hasn't everyone gone back, then, instead of just keeping it a secret?"

"It's no secret, dearie, it's the fact that no one, except for Regina and I, remembers their true identity."

"How convenient." Cat said flatly, making Gold grimace at her. "So, why are you telling me this? If I'm not even from Storybrooke, how am I involved in all of this?"

Gold sighed. "Ah, but you received the worst punishment of them all."

Cat snorted. She almost considered the possibility that everything he had just told her was true. However, the world she had lived in for as long as she could remember was filled with reality, there was no running away from her troubles with the notion that life was just a fairy tale.

"Who am I, then?" Cat asked.

"I would tell you now, but you will never understand your importance until you know the whole story." Gold said decisively. Cat rolled her eyes again.

"So, am I just supposed to sneak off to your house every night for story time?" She said sarcastically.

"You're more than welcome to, dearie," He winked at her, "But to make things plain and simple, there is a book I would like you to read that will explain everything."

"Okay, so where is it?"

"I don't have it. Sheriff Swan's son, Henry, has it. Borrow it for a couple of days, and then you will understand." Gold looked at her with curiosity and hope, and Cat felt sorry for him.

"What's it called?" Cat asked, a little hopelessly.

"Once Upon A Time." Gold said knowingly.

"Of course." Cat rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll be sure to get to it then." She briefly thought about telling Sheriff Swan about this, so maybe she could get him some real help. However, Ruby would find out that Cat was at his house, and Cat didn't necessarily want to be on Gold's bad side, especially since he was leaning towards the crazy side.

"Well, thanks for answering my questions, sort of." Cat muttered, and she rose to leave. Gold stood up at the same time, moving closer to her until he towered above her, so close that she had to look up to see his face.

"You're quite welcome, Ms. Allaway." He whispered, and Cat shivered involuntarily. "When you finally realize who you are, and you are filled with rage and the desire for vengeance, just remember who enlightened you to the truth. It would be smart to stick with me, dearie." He slipped a card into her hand, and when Cat looked at it she recognized a phone number. It wasn't exactly how she imagined getting a handsome man's number, but she supposed it would do.

"Um, thanks." Cat said quietly, struck back by his closeness. She dropped her gaze uncomfortably.

"If you need anything, just give me a call." Gold said quietly. He set a finger under her chin and lifted her face so he could look her in the eyes. Cat fidgeted worriedly, but his gaze soon brought her to complete stillness. She could see the darkness that resided in his eyes, but she could also see honesty. This man, as intimidating as he may seem, truly thought that he, and everyone around him, was a fairytale character. She could tell in his eyes that he had really thought everything through, and she felt pity for him. Those eyes, so menacing, perhaps didn't hold as much evil as she thought, only hope for something better than what reality gave him. She saw light and darkness, but all Gold could see in her icy blue eyes was beauty; beauty of the unknown, and he deeply wanted to know. They hypnotized him, drawing him in with a noose and strangling him of all the power he once knew. He didn't like the feeling; being powerless under a sorceress' gaze, but he knew that was only a small glimpse of her true power. He wanted her, he wanted her power, but he had no way of getting it, not yet. He couldn't take action just yet, she didn't trust him enough, and she didn't even believe. Once she did, however, she would be running to him for help, and he loved the idea.

"Perhaps you should leave now." Gold whispered as he let go of her chin. He had probably made her extremely uncomfortable, and it was not the right time for the closeness that they used to share.

Catherina stumbled out of his gaze, confused and dazed. "Right.. I'll let you know how the book thing goes." She said quietly, and turned to leave. Gold let her, standing in the living room like a lonely soul as he watched her leave.

"Catherina." He called after her. She turned back to him curiously, with the door wide open.

"Yes, Mr. Gold?" She said sarcastically.

Gold took a shallow breath. "Don't let your perception of 'reality' cloud your vision of what you truly desire." He said with finality. Cat looked at him, confused at what he was referring to, but nodded her head nonetheless.

"I'll keep that in mind. Good night." She said, and walked out of the house. Gold was left by himself, two wineglasses on the coffee table and an empty couch, and he sighed. He knew that self-control and diligence were crucial to his plans for Catherina, but they were already proving to be more difficult than he had hoped.

**A/N: Sorry for posting a day late! I didn't want to reveal too many secrets in this chapter, but this is definitely where the story starts picking up! Thanks for reading! **


	7. Chapter 7- Fear and Truth

Cat strode hesitantly from Gold's front lawn. She didn't want to go back to her boring life; she wanted to stay with Mr. Gold. She didn't exactly believe his fairy tale stories, but the danger and menace he seemed to pose enticed her. She wanted more of it, but she knew that Ruby would have a fit. Perhaps that was why it seemed so exciting. She walked with dignity, despite her clouded mind and heavy eyes. She saw the library in the distance, and she also noticed that Emma's yellow bug was gone. She was relieved that she wouldn't have to sneak back into the library, but she still had to turn the lights off.

When she approached, she noticed that the door was slightly ajar. She slipped inside, fearful at what might be waiting for her inside. She hoped with everything she had that Ruby wasn't inside. She closed the door quietly, but she didn't see a soul in the library. She breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the door could have slipped open on its own. She still had two books in her arm, and she was contemplating finding more, when she heard a noise from below her feet.

It was low and rumbling, shaking the floor as it grew louder. She looked around in fear and confusion, and she ran for cover behind the circulation desk. _It must be an earthquake, _she thought, _but I've never heard of earthquakes in Maine. _The rumbling ceased and was replaced by the sound of squeaking metal and grinding gears. As Cat poked her head from around the desk, the large metal doors of the elevator suddenly opened. She gasped and scooted behind the desk again to avoid being seen. Sharp heels clicked on the tile floor, making their way to the circulation desk. Cat held her breath, anticipating the worst.

"Who's there?" A voice called. It was a woman's voice, sharp and deliberate. Cat froze. That voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't put a name to it. The heels stepped closer to the barrier that separated Cat from the stranger, and Cat could almost feel the heat radiating from the other side. Cat was completely still and silent, heart racing and her breath caught in her throat. She refused to be caught sneaking off in the night when she had made it this far.

Finally, the footsteps started for the door. Cat breathed a sigh of relief, and peeked around the corner to see who was leaving the library.

It was Regina.

Cat's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she looked back to the large elevator that Regina had just come from. From all of the noise, Cat knew that Regina had just come from the basement, and she was curious as to what was down there that would require the mayor's attention. When Regina shut the door as she left, Cat rose from her hiding space. She examined the elevator, stepping closer and feeling the grooves and levers. Buttons adorned the sides, as well as a metal wheel used for lowering the elevator and bringing it back up. Cat stared at the wheel in thought. _How could Regina have used the elevator by herself?_ She thought. It was a two man job, but no one else was in sight. The only explanation would be if there was someone at the bottom turning a wheel. She shook her head at the thought, already feeling woozy again. Perhaps it was just too musty in the room, or the thought of falling down an elevator shaft made her frightened. Either way, she was frightened by the feeling it gave her. She left the library soon after, shutting off the lights and retrieving her books.

She had never really thought her plan through until she stepped outside, and she realized that she didn't have a ride home. Ruby was long gone from Granny's, and her bike was still at the house. She sighed in frustration, and settled for walking the entire way home, not seeing any other options. As she walked, she looked up at the night sky. It was pretty, with star clusters illustrating beauty in the sky. There weren't enough town lights to block out the stars, and she was glad. Maine had a certain quality about it, a certain aspect of nature that couldn't be found anywhere else. Everything seemed to be at peace with itself, even the waters of the bay.

She was nearing the end of main street, and was about to make a turn, when a brown truck pulled up next to her. It was large and bulky, and shook as the motor ran.

"Excuse me!" The driver shouted over the engine. "Are you lost?"

"No, I'm heading home right now." She called back. The man cut off his engine and reached over to open the passenger door.

"Do you want a lift?" He said, and Cat stood hesitantly. She didn't want to walk the whole way home, but she didn't want a lonely Storybrooke resident luring her into his car, especially after the "hospitality" she was shown when she got to Storybrooke. "Come on, I don't bite." He chuckled, and Cat gave a slight grin in response. _Might as well make friends while I can, _she thought, and she climbed into the old Ford. The man was actually pretty handsome. He had short brown hair, a nicely sculpted face, and kind eyes. She didn't want to take her eyes off of him, but she assumed that staring was not the best way to make friends here.

"I'm David, David Nolan. I'm guessing you're Cat?" He asked, and she turned her head to him in surprise.

"How'd you know that?" Cat said almost frantically.

David chuckled. "I hear stuff around town." He started the truck again and took off down the road again. "You're staying with Ruby, right?" He asked as he was about to make the turn towards her house.

She nodded. "What have you heard about me?" She said curiously.

"A lot of things, nothing bad in particular, though." He replied.

"Do they like me?" Cat asked hopefully.

David laughed again. "I wouldn't expect everyone to love you these first couple of weeks. After all, you are one of the first visitors to Storybrooke."

Cat blinked. "You mean no one else has been here before?"

"There were others once. A man and his son ran into Storybrooke on a camping trip, many years ago, but they didn't stay." He said uncertainly.

"I wonder why." Cat said sarcastically, but David didn't seem to notice.

"I know, right? It's so nice here." David exclaimed, and Cat rolled her eyes. "You'll see, soon everyone will warm up to you. You'll be a part of the family soon, as if you had been here all along." His optimism was irritating Cat a little, but she didn't mind the sense of hope his words gave her. They comforted her.

"Thanks, it's nice to hear that." Cat grinned, and David smiled in return as he made a turn onto the old country road that led to her house.

"You seem nice enough to me." David teased. "I don't see why anyone would dislike you; just don't go hanging around Gold too much."

Cat's heart sank a little. "What do you mean?"

"Well I've just heard from Ruby that you've taken an interest in him." He said, nonchalantly.

Cat twisted her face. "No, no. I'm not _interested _in Mr. Gold. We were just acquaintances."

"After all that stuff he did to you?" David pressed, and Cat wondered how close he really was to Ruby if he knew all of this.

"I guess those were just misunderstandings." Cat didn't want to continue this conversation. She thought she had found a possible friend, but he was just another one of Ruby's spies.

"Look," He sighed as he pulled into her driveway. "I don't want to push myself in to other people's business, but I advise you to stay away from Gold. But if you _don't_ stay away from him, well, I still don't have any authority to go telling on you." He winked at her, and Cat sighed in relief. Maybe she had made a friend after all.

"Thanks, David." She smiled as she opened the car door.

"You'll see me around town, I'm sure!" David reassured her with his warm eyes and his friendly smile, and Cat didn't feel so alone anymore. She nodded her head and closed the door, heading to the front gate and watching him drive away.

When she got into the house, she found everything still and quiet, it was nearing midnight, and Ruby was already asleep. Ruby had to work the early shift the next morning, but surprisingly, Cat was off work. She hoped that Ruby would trust her enough to be on her own without running off to Mr. Gold, but it's not like Cat would listen, anyways.

As she made her way through the dark, she heard Ruby's light snoring, and hoped that she wouldn't wake her. She didn't feel like being questioned at this time of night. She shut her bedroom door behind her, and luckily, the door muffled most of the noise that she might make. She set her books down on her desk and realized that she had hardly unpacked anything. She had been so busy with work and climbing up Gold's ass that her boxes were left almost entirely untouched. She walked over to her belongings and started tearing tape off of the boxes. She found the rest of her clothes, to her relief, and a small collection of shoes. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to worry about borrowing any of Ruby's clothes, god forbid. She found some of her old paintings, damaged from the move, but still intact. She found paintings of celebrities, and she giggled at the thought. She also found one of her favorites, her painting of an old farmhouse, mountains, and the Milky Way in the night sky. She figured it might be worth some money, since it looked so realistic, but she cherished it too much to sell it. Instead, she hung it on a stray nail by her window, and she admired it from a distance.

She continued to unpack her things, trying not to disturb her roommate. She could go to sleep right now, but the excitement and confusion of the day kept her awake. She found sentimental items, from paintings to photos to her favorite pieces of music. After everything was out of the boxes, she decided to hang up her clothes. She grabbed a handful of shirts on their hangers and opened the sliding doors of her closet. It was large, and she was grateful for it, despite her rather small wardrobe. She hung the clothes on her racks, and as she finished color coordinating everything, something above her caught her eye. On the top shelf in her closet, she caught a glimpse of brown and gold gleaming in the light. She reached for it and brought down a large book.

It was leather bound, with gold lettering along the front. _Once Upon A Time_ is what it said, and Cat cursed under her breath. _Isn't this Henry's book? How the hell did it end up here?_ She quickly waked across the hall to Ruby's room, and knocked impatiently. When the door finally opened, a lazy-eyed Ruby in a silk robe stared at her irritably.

"Yes?" Ruby said, obviously cranky from being woken up.

"This was in my closet, Rubes. I think it's Henry's. Can you give it back to him?" Cat held up the book to show Ruby, but only got a confused look in return.

"That can't be Henry's, Cat. I was working until we closed, and Henry was sitting in his booth with his book all night." Ruby said, and Cat twisted her face in confusion. "Maybe it's yours from your childhood or something, and you just don't remember it. Good night Cat." Ruby said sleepily, and closed the door. Cat felt bad for interrupting her beauty sleep, but she had no idea where that book had come from. She stared at it in curiosity, remembering what Mr. Gold had said about the book. He probably got all of his ideas from this book and planted it in her room while she was working. However, there were no signs of a forced entry, and this was the only house in Storybrooke that Gold didn't have the keys too. She was dumbfounded, but settled for asking him about it tomorrow. She sat down at her desk with the book and opened its wide cover.

After about an hour, she lifted her tired eyes from the book. She was nearly half way through it, and she could already see its relation to Storybrooke. Mr. Gold was right when he made all of those connections, but it was nothing but a coincidence. However, she did think it was weird that Gold made himself such a vile character, so evil, conniving, and the one who had suffered the most out of everyone in the book. Fairy tales were much darker than she remembered as a kid, and she was scared to ruin her childhood any more by reading the rest. If Mr. Gold was indeed Rumpelstiltskin, she felt pity for him. _Maybe that's his goal, _she thought, _he wants me to feel pity for him. _She shook the thought from her head and focused on the book again.

She had reached the point where the Evil Queen, whose name just happened to be Regina, was trying to retrieve the dark curse from her friend, Maleficent. Cat turned the page, and gasped in surprise. The woman that was in the picture stared back at her with wide blue eyes, and the staff she held was an exact replica of the staff that was in Gold's shop. She could believe the fact that Gold could have made that staff to trick her, but she couldn't get past the image of Maleficent on that page, whose face looked exactly like Cat's. The only difference was blonde hair instead of red, and her magnificent robes. She touched the picture gently, and felt electricity coursing through her fingers. It stung a little, but Cat couldn't bring her eyes or fingers away from that picture.

Suddenly, her eyes lost focus, and tunnel vision took over her eyesight. She was deeply afraid, for some unknown reason, and she lost control of her muscles. She convulsed in her chair, her pupils large and unfocused. She could feel static running through her veins, and she let out a tiny cry at the pain. It grew more intense, and in place of her eyesight was the image of a dragon, large and fearsome, with black scales and large horns. Then, all she could see was that bloody staff again, glowing with a purple aura and seemingly beating like a heart. Her whole body was shaking, and her breathing quickened, until she collapsed on the desk, the book of fairy tales cushioning the blow to her head.

Cat woke up in the same place she had fallen asleep, on her desk. The book was still open, displaying the illustration of Maleficent. Cat assumed that she had fallen asleep when she got to that page, which would explain the awful dream she had. It couldn't have been real, otherwise she would have to consider seeing a doctor to test for epilepsy, which she was sure was impossible. She didn't like the nightmares that this town gave her, and she felt as if part of the blame belonged to Mr. Gold.

She sat up in her chair, her neck cramping from her odd sleeping position, and she looked around her room. The entire house was quiet, and she soon remembered that she was alone. She smiled at the thought, and settled for bringing her cello from its case. She loved the thought of playing it for the first time since she got to Storybrooke, and she felt that it would calm her. She sat back down in her chair, adjusting the cello's end pin to the appropriate height and tightening her bow. When she drew the first sound with her bow, she was surprised to find it perfectly in tune after the long move. She continued to play, the strings vibrating under her fingers as she pulled out a slow melody. The sound waves reverberating through the room comforted her and filled her chest with their volume. She played like this for nearly half an hour, creating her own tune as she played. The music progressively became more melancholy as time went on, and she soon found herself on the brink of tears. She was about to switch the tune, when she suddenly felt a familiar sensation in her fingers. They stung with electricity, and it was unlike the feeling she got when the strings vibrated under her fingers. Her hand tensed up, and when she looked at it, she nearly screamed.

Her hand was glowing, not with radiance from her skin, but with a purple aura. She stood up from her chair, quickly setting the cello down and almost throwing it. She looked around in fear, first to her cello, then to the book on her desk. The book hadn't moved, but it still taunted her with its presence. She breathed heavily as she looked at her hands, which were back to normal. She must have gotten very little sleep, and her tired eyes were taking a toll on her. She finally settled for painting, and retrieved her easel, paints, and a blank canvas. She set her chair and supplies by the window, taking advantage of the sunlight that Maine gave to her that day.

She often liked starting with a blank canvas and letting her imagination do the work. She didn't start with a specific idea in mind; instead she let her mind move her muscles through the paint and on the canvas. People thought she was weird for that, but she thought it was the best way for her to paint, with creativity and originality. She quickly found the perfect shades to match her mood; blue and purple. They were her two favorite colors, and she wanted to see what her imagination had in store for them.

She continued this for over an hour, moving her brushes over the canvas and absent-mindedly watching the paints blend with each other. She took advantage of this time to think about her situation in life. She was basically trapped in a small, gloomy town with freshly-made enemies and old men who were convinced that magic was real. Although she didn't really believe it, she kind of liked the idea of a land of magic and fairy tales. It would be a nice escape from the turbulence that life always threw at her. Her painting was nearly done, however, her brush stopped and her eyes grew wide as she realized what she had been painting. Her painting stood before her, but she couldn't believe that she could have done this. The same illustration of Maleficent from that cursed book was now on her canvas, her hair a bright red instead of the soft blonde that was in the original picture. She slowly backed away from the painting, and looked at the book again. It had been closed, the words on the cover gleaming with mockery, but she hadn't touched the book since she had woken up. She gasped, her eyes widening and her heart beating out of her chest. She rushed from the room, out through the front door and onto the front lawn.

She pulled out her cell phone, as well as the card that Gold had given her last night. She dialed the number with shaking fingers, and prayed that he would pick up.

"Hello?" His Scottish accent over the speaker made her sigh loudly in relief. She was panting in fear, and she probably sounded like a dog over the phone.

"Hello?" Gold said again. "Who is this? I don't take jokes lightly."

"Gold." Cat panted, and he fell silent. "Can we talk?"

He was silent for another moment, and then cleared his throat. "Of course, Ms. Allaway."

"Somewhere secret would be best, not in town." She said, struggling to speak.

"Where are you?" Gold asked, concern rising in his voice.

"Home."

"I'll be there shortly." He said quickly.

"Hurry." Cat said as he hung up the phone. She didn't dare to go back into that house and face whatever was waiting for her. Perhaps it was a prank, but there was a slight possibility that she was facing the cold, hard truth.

**A/N: So sorry for the late update, life has been crazy lately! I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though there wasn't very much Gold in it. Thanks for the follows and reviews! I will update soon!**


	8. Chapter 8- So Close

Catherina waited on the front lawn, and she didn't dare set foot on the porch. That book, whatever it was, brought something evil into her home. Whatever resided in it was trying to alter her reality until she thought herself to be insane, and to be honest, it almost worked. She wanted it out of her house, but she was too frightened to do it herself. Mr. Gold was indeed a crazy old man, so maybe he knew how to deal with crazy things.

Ten minutes passed by before she heard the sound of an engine through the silent woods. She raised her head from her crouched position on the ground in hopes that Mr. Gold was almost here. She exhaled loudly as she saw his black Cadillac round the corner, well past the speed limit, and his tires squeal across the pavement.

Catherina looked pale, oh so very pale; and that was saying something, considering how fair-skinned she was in the first place. As she waved at him, Gold could see the sickness in her face. Her eyes had dark circles under them, her hair a mess, and her cheeks were nearly transparent. She always looked beautiful to him, but her appearance today was testing that statement. She had sounded quite frantic on the phone, and she still looked panicked. He only wished she would have told him what had happened before he arrived, so maybe he could be prepared. However, perhaps this situation called for an unprepared, loony old man.

He stepped out of his car, and Catherina stood up with shaky legs. She clutched at the gate, struggling to open the latch, although it wasn't stuck.

"Catherina… What's happened?" Gold asked.

"Get it out." She said, and Gold's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Get it out!" She said again.

"What are you talking about?" Gold said with frustration.

"The book," She exclaimed. "The one you told me to get!"

Gold's tone became sarcastic. "Have you gone off sneaking into the night and snatched it from that boy already?" He sounded surprised, and Cat was shocked that he would think such a thing.

"It's not Henry's, Gold! It just showed up in my room last night. Ruby swears that it's not Henry's." She explained.

"Then what appears to be the problem?" He said soothingly, but Catherina didn't calm down.

"I want it out of my home. It brings nothing but evil!" She exclaimed.

"Why don't you do it yourself then?" Gold said mockingly. He regretted the remark when her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. She was never this sensitive, not even in her past life. He sighed in defeat, opened the latch to her gate, and pushed her aside as he made his way to the front porch. When he looked back from the steps, Catherina was clutching her arms to herself, eyes wide and fearful, and Gold tried to give her a reassuring smile. It probably looked like a grimace, but it was all he could give her at that moment. He turned and opened the door to the house.

When he stepped inside, he could feel the energy seeping from a room in the back, and he smirked. _Finally_, he thought. As he made his way to her room, he could feel the energy growing stronger, struggling to drive him away. He knew that the book didn't like him, but he had to make a good impression on Catherina. He would look like a coward for running away. That really seemed to be the only thing Gold was interesting in, good impressions and unlimited power. He wouldn't allow himself to be branded a coward once again. He stepped into her room, which smelled of pure magic, and was almost screamed at by the energy from the book on her desk.

"Long time, no see." He whispered to the book. It was throbbing with life and energy, and was hot to the touch when he picked it up. "Now, how did you get here?" The book lost the aura that surrounded it when he picked it up, and it also returned to normal temperature. He opened to book to a random page, and he was disgusted to see a picture of himself, torturing Robinhood, despite Belle's pleas. He missed Belle dearly, but there was no way to bring her back. He had found her in Storybrooke, but not in good condition. She was locked in a cell below the hospital, crazy and delirious. She had been beaten many times, and her perception of reality was turned into a constant nightmare. He put her out of her misery, he killed her, and he hated himself for it. Perhaps it was the right thing to do, though. He could have selfishly kept her alive in his home and watched her hurt herself, suffering the plagues of insanity. He couldn't bring himself to do it, and now she was dead. He loved her, he loved her so much. However, she was not the first and would hopefully not be the last. He mourned her death every day, but he would eventually move on, as he had done with the others.

"Rumple!" A woman shouting his name brought him out of his mourning. He jolted in surprise and looked around to find an empty room. His heart sank when he didn't see anyone, and he assumed that his mind was only tormenting him. He closed the book again and tucked it under his arm, walking down the hall and letting his cane lead the way. When he stepped back out through the door, Catherina was at the bottom of the steps, wide-eyed and pale.

"What's wrong?" Gold asked.

"I called for you.. But you didn't answer.. I was just making sure you were alright." Catherina stuttered, and Gold twisted his face in confusion.

"That was you?" He said disbelievingly.

"Um, yeah. Who else would it be?" She said uncertainly.

"But… you said my name." Gold pointed at her as he said it, eyebrows furrowed. "You said Rumple."

This time, Catherina was the one who looked confused. "No I didn't. I said Gold."

Gold stared at her in wonder and disbelief. Could that have possibly been her, or had he imagined it? If it was indeed Catherina, then things were moving faster than he thought they were. Her big blue eyes stared up at him like an innocent creature would, tears threatening to spill over. She was far from innocent, but she didn't know that at the moment. He wanted her to enjoy it while she could. He wanted to hold her while she was still harmless, for the most part.

"Catherina, are you alright?" He asked as he stepped down the stairs. He stopped when he was on her level, although he was still taller than her, thankfully, and set the book down on the steps. She nodded her head in reply, trying not to speak in fear of having a meltdown. He stepped hesitantly towards her, and when she didn't back away from him, he slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a comforting hug. This was unlike him, he didn't even know exactly what had happened to make her like this, and he would normally never show anyone a hint of affection. Catherina froze under his embrace, and he was about to let go of her and apologize, but she wrapped her arms around his waist in return. She cried into his suit, not even caring about getting it wet, and shook like a child. She didn't like the idea of making herself so vulnerable to him, but maybe she was just going crazy. After all, she had seen some crazy things that morning, and she didn't want to believe it. Perhaps that was why she was so hysterical, not only due to the strange phenomena she had witnessed, but also because she was facing an unrealistic reality check. However, when she returned Gold's attempt at a hug, she suddenly felt safer. He would protect her because he was the one with the power around here. The heat from his body made her feel more at home than she ever would in Storybrooke.

"Catherina," Gold whispered in her ear as he stroked her hair. "We need to leave."

"But where do we go?" She asked, her voice muffled by his suit coat.

"I know of a place we could go to, but you'll have to trust me." He said with certainty. She suddenly lifted her head to meet his eyes, and he nearly gave in right there, as her blue irises shone with fear and hope.

"I do." She said quietly, and Gold pushed away from her quickly. _It's too soon,_ he thought. He couldn't get so close to her again, otherwise he would risk ruining everything that they had so far. She looked deprived when he pulled away from her, and Cat was curious as to why he looked so scared at that moment. He held out a hand to her, and she took his hand and allowed him to lead her to his car. When she got into the car, she winced when she saw him setting the book on the backseat.

"You're bringing it with us?" She asked fearfully.

"Well, you wanted it out of your house, didn't you?" He answered sarcastically.

"Yeah, but I was hoping that you would burn it or something." She muttered, and Gold chuckled.

A few moments later, they were flying across the road, further into the woods. Cat had never been in this part of the town before; all she could see were trees and underbrush. The car was quiet as Cat stared out of the window in thought. Her eyes widened as Gold rounded the corner of a large pine. There was a lake ahead of them, large and sparkling in the morning sun. A log cabin sat to the right, comforting her with its aged wood.

"Is this it?" She gasped.

"What, is it not enough?" Gold mocked, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"It's beautiful, Gold. It's so peaceful."

"I'm glad you agree, dearie." He said as he pulled to a stop in front of the cabin. He stepped slowly around the car and opened the passenger door for Catherina. When she stepped out, she was pleased by the smell of moisture and pines. "This way." She followed him to the front door and watched him turn a key in the lock. When she stepped inside, she was surprised to see a large television, stereo system, and comfortable seating in the main room.

"You don't stay here on weekends, do you?" She asked jokingly.

He chuckled. "No, but it comes in handy when I need time alone."

"When does that happen?"

"Not very often." He said. "Are you cold?"

"A little," Cat shivered. "despite the fact that it's mid-April."

"Spring often doesn't beat the cold in Maine, dearie." Gold said as he pulled a lighter from his pocket. He stepped over to the fireplace in the center of the living room wall, and turned on the propane dispensers below the firewood. The fire immediately sprung to life when he held the lighter to it.

"Hey, that's cheating!" She teased, and Gold smirked at her.

"Would you rather I use magic?" He chimed back.

"I'd like to see that." Cat said, and Gold chuckled at her.

"Not possible, not right now, anyways." He said.

"Of course." Cat rolled her eyes and settled for sitting on the large leather couch in front of her. She sunk into the middle, and she enjoyed the smell of old leather that came to her nose. She looked at Gold fearfully when he stepped out of the front door again. She knew he was going to get the book, but perhaps it couldn't do her any harm when someone else was around. She tried to reassure herself when he returned and set the book on the coffee table, but she still felt queasy.

"It's fine, dearie." Gold said soothingly, and she calmed down a little as she watched him shuffle around the room. He turned on the stereo, and she immediately recognized La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong.

She smiled. "You have good taste."

He returned the gesture. "Thank you, dearie." He set his cane against the couch and settled himself beside her. There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke.

"Something happened, didn't it?" He asked.

"Well, of course, otherwise I wouldn't be here." She answered, and Gold shook his head.

"What I mean is that, despite the lack of magic in Storybrooke, you seem to have already discovered your powers." He looked at her as he said it, and watched her face twist into that unbelieving expression once again.

"Are we going to do this again, Gold?" she said. "If it was anything supernatural, it was that book, not me."

"Ah, but the book is just a trigger." He whispered. "After everything that has happened to you lately, how could you not believe?"

Catherina shook her head. "If it were true, why don't I remember it? I remember my childhood, and I definitely did not live in a fairy tale."

"The curse, didn't you read that?" Gold asked.

She shrugged. "Kind of, I skipped around some."

"Open your eyes, dearie." Gold grasped her hand. "It's all right here." He pointed to the book, and Cat got that uneasy feeling again.

"You're asking a lot from me. You expect me to believe that life is a big happy magical land of fairies, when all I've known is cold, harsh, reality." Her words were clipped, but she was not trying to sound rude.

"Life isn't happy anywhere you go." Gold said, lowering his head and looking away from her, and she regretted her remark.

"Was I happy?" She asked suddenly, making him look up in surprise.

"Not particularly." He answered quietly, and she lowered her eyes.

"Okay, fine. I'm considering the possibility of this all being true, but I want proof. You need to show it to me." She demanded, and Gold's eyes brightened.

"You'll see soon," He gripped her hand tighter. "And I'll protect you in the meantime."

"Thanks." She smiled slightly at him, and pulled her hand away. Gold sighed.

"We do have a past, you know." He said suddenly. Cat looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Back in the Enchanted Forest, you and I, we were very close." He said as his eyes wandered around the room. "You were so young, you are still much younger than you were when the curse took hold, but you had so much potential. I couldn't stay away, and I still cannot."

"What are you saying?" She asked.

"I taught you magic, for the most part. The rest was all you. I wanted you to cast the Dark Curse, but I couldn't let you. Like some others, you loved me, and in order to cast the curse, you needed the heart of the thing you loved most. It was too risky." He spoke quietly, and Cat had to lean in to hear him, but she sat back a little in shock when he said this.

"There were others?" She asked, and Gold laughed louder this time.

"You haven't changed much, dearie." He grinned at her. "Always so jealous, but yes, there were others. However, you, my dear, were different. You were one of the only ones I loved in return." He glanced at her and saw her eyes had grown wide with shock.

"Mr. Gold, I…-" She started, but he put a hand on her shoulder to silence her. He turned to look her in the eyes, and she was taken aback by the light that shone in them.

"Stop, Catherina. You don't need to explain. I don't expect you to love me, you don't even remember me." He chuckled, but she could still hear emotion in his voice. Her heart nearly ripped itself out of her chest right there. She was flattered and taken aback by his gesture, but she was also hurt by his pain. She wanted to remember loving him, if that had ever even happened, but she couldn't. She wanted to love him now, despite the circumstances, but she had no idea how.

"I want to." She said quietly, and Gold looked down to hide his emotions. He looked rather cowardly, opening himself to another so easily, but he knew that she had always had that effect on him. She stroked his hair gently. "Despite everything that has happened, I really want to remember. I should hate you, you're such a jerk." She teased, and he grinned at her. She felt a deep fire within her, not only desire, but the feeling that something hidden was trying to rise to the surface. Perhaps it was her memories, or perhaps it was just her imagination playing along with his stories. She couldn't shake it, though. It was powerful, and it threatened to take over her entire body, growing stronger as she looked into his golden-brown eyes. She welcomed it, she wanted to remember, but she didn't get memories. Instead, all she could grasp was the intense emotions she had felt for him in her previous life. She didn't know how this was happening, that she could just remember loving him so easily, but she did.

"Catherina…" Gold whispered, tears brimming over his eyes and onto his face. She wiped them away with her thumb, and she had to struggle not to cry herself at the sight.

"Please don't cry." She said quietly, and Gold let out a breath of laughter.

"Do… you remember?" He asked hopefully.

"A little, I think." She said uncertainly. The fire was coursing through her veins, controlling her muscles, much like it did when she was sitting in front of the blank canvas. She had no clue what compelled her, but she slowly brought his hand to her heart. As she felt the warmth of his hand and he felt the beating of her heart, they both shared the fire that resided within them. The feeling grew stronger, and she could tell that it was their memories coming together. She found it nearly impossible to believe, but she felt the connection with him over the centuries. She gasped in surprise at the sensation, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He had never felt this power before, it was her magic, no doubt, but it was also the remnants of the love they used to have for each other. He wanted to grasp it forever, never let her go.

"Is it you?" He said quietly. He kept one hand on her heart, and he brought the other hand to her chin. He had to force himself to calm down; otherwise he would look like a fool. But that intense look in her eyes, and the magic that connected the two of them, made him want to kiss her senseless.

"I'm not sure." She said as she held her head. All she could remember was intense emotions, but she wanted to remember everything. She looked back up into Gold's eyes as he set his hand under her chin. He had composed himself, and he was once again the calm, arrogant, handsome man that she had met only a few days ago. She wanted him to be hers, but the fact that she hardly knew him at that moment deterred her. She should just kiss him and get on with it, but she couldn't shake off the walls that she had put around herself all her life. Gold moved closer to her, and her stomach did backflips as he did so. She didn't dare move, and sat completely still as his face came close to hers. She could smell him, his strong, musky scent surrounded her, and she was mesmerized by it. He was mesmerized as well, not only by her scent, but those big blue eyes that drew her in like a lasso. He wouldn't be able to contain his feelings much longer, and he only hoped that she felt the same way.

He was so close, so tantalizingly close that they both held their breath in anticipation. She wanted it, for sure, but she felt that it was too soon. However, the look in his eyes made her forget all of her worries, he felt right to her, and she couldn't see herself anywhere else at that moment. She could feel his warm breath on her face as he drew closer, and he cradled her face with both hands. She no longer acknowledged the music in the background, the rain that had started to fall outside, or the crackling of the fire. All she saw was him and his emotions pouring out to her.

"Catherina… are you sure that you want this?" He said quietly, his accent deepening, and his face only inches from hers.

"I want it, I just don't know if I should." She sighed, and Gold gave her a reassuring smile.

"I will not force myself on you, and I will not allow this to happen unless you are positive that this is what you want." He whispered, and Catherina was touched by his genuine concern and empathy.

"Thanks." She smiled, and Gold moved away from her.

"Perhaps we should get you home; your friend might be done with her shift soon." He said with finality as he stood up and grabbed his cane.

"Good idea. It was nice talking to you." She winked at him, and he chuckled as he turned towards the door.

"Aren't you going to put the fire out, or turn off the music?" She asked curiously.

"I think not, dearie. I'll be back here soon; I have some thinking to do." He smirked at her.

Mr. Gold dropped her off at precisely one o'clock, and she was thankful that she had gotten there before Ruby. She waved as she watched him drive away, and she couldn't help mentally slapping herself for her stupidity. Whether or not she should have kissed him she didn't know, but she acted like a romantic fool towards a man she hardly knew, in this life perhaps.

She was still sitting on the porch steps when Ruby got home. Cat couldn't be happier that she would have some company in the house today, and she smiled as Ruby walked through the gate.

"Hey! What're you doing out here? It's pouring." Ruby said curiously.

"Oh, you know, just enjoying the rain. I guess I'm looking for inspiration." Cat smirked, and Ruby let out a giggle.

"Well, you can find some inspiration at the Rabbit Hole tonight. I was thinking we could go out for a few drinks to let out some stress from the past few days." Ruby chimed as she playfully punched Cat in the arm.

Cat grinned to herself. "I'd like that."

**A/N: Don't hate me, there's plenty more to come! Thanks for reading! **


	9. Chapter 9- A Hero

Love, it was a funny thing. It sucked you in with hope and desire, and then spit you back out like a piece of rotten meat. The worst part was that Cat didn't even know whether she was being lured in or cast out, that was the thing. This man, this terrifying, intriguing man, who had only opened himself to her a few hours ago, wanted her, and something kept pushing her away. Was it magic, or was it something that happened long ago that she couldn't quite remember? She wanted to move past it, and she wanted to let him in, but she had hardly let anyone in throughout her whole life, besides her mother. Her mother had always told her to trust no one, especially men, because they will leave you all alone with a newborn child and a growing debt. Men only use people to suit their needs, and then cast them away like an unwanted possession. Cat had always agreed with her mother, but lately she has doubted her mother's wisdom. She had always been taught that all men were the same, but she had just found proof that they weren't.

And here she was, loving a man she hardly knew and giving her trust to a man she was afraid of. She wanted to trust him, and she did. Would he use her? If he was, what could he possibly need from her to go to this extreme? Maybe he only wanted to wield her power, as weird as she felt admitting it, and nothing else. But perhaps he wanted more than just power. She could definitely see that he was cold, vengeful, and power-hungry, but she could also see through the layers he had set around himself. He was genuine, and she hoped that she brought out that side of him. It hurt to think that she could be just as evil as he made himself to be, and had no memory of it, but perhaps that was what brought them together.

She was sitting in the car with Ruby, with a fresh pack of cigarettes in the cup holder, and they were on their way to The Rabbit Hole. She was never one for bars or parties, but she felt like she needed something stronger than the wine they kept at the house. They laughed as they sped down the road and smoked their cigarettes. By the time they reached The Rabbit Hole, it was already dark and people were swarming around the bar. When they finally found a couple seats at the bar, Ruby ordered two gin and tonics, and sighed contentedly when she took the first sip.

"So, Cat, there's been something I've been meaning to talk to you about." Ruby said.

"What's that?"

"About Gold." She said nonchalantly, and Cat's heart froze. _Did she know already?_ Cat thought as she sat there with her mouth agape.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to scold you again." Ruby laughed as she took another drink.

"Then what about him?" Cat said defensively. She thought that she had kept her secret from Ruby pretty well, but perhaps Ruby really did have spies everywhere.

"Look, I know that you like him." Ruby teased, and when Cat tried to speak in her defense, Ruby cut her off. "Come on, it's obvious. He's a dangerous guy, Cat, but maybe that's what you like in men." She smirked, and Cat tilted her head in confusion.

"What are you getting at?" Cat asked.

"Maybe I shouldn't keep you from him. I mean, it was kind of shitty of me to threaten you, and you don't seem very happy when you're at the house. You need to get out more often, even if that's with Gold." She said dismissively.

"Wait, so you're saying that I'm allowed to run around with a dangerous man, whose only intention might be getting in my pants?" Cat teased, and Ruby laughed at the remark.

"Hey now, don't push your luck!" Ruby laughed. "I trust you not to do anything too crazy." Cat felt guilty for betraying Ruby's trust beforehand, but she was glad that she wouldn't have to sneak around anymore.

"Thanks, Ruby." Cat smiled. "I'll be careful."

"You better," Ruby winked. "We can't have you turning up in any alleyway dumpsters."

"I'll try my best." Cat said, and decided to change the subject. "So, am I working with you tomorrow? I never really checked the schedule." Ruby's eyes shifted at the last remark and avoided looking Cat.

"Yeah, you see, that was another thing I wanted to talk to you about." Ruby said quietly, and Cat strained to hear her over the noise of the bar.

Cat grimaced. "What is it?"

"We can't have you working at the diner anymore."

"What?!" Cat exclaimed, earning a few strange looks from bystanders. "But why? I thought I was doing pretty good!"

"You were. A little slow maybe, but you were learning." Ruby said innocently, and Cat scoffed.

"I'm new! Of course I was going to be slow!" Cat frowned, crossing her arms.

"Look, it's not your fault, really. Money is really tight right now with Granny. She had to let someone go. I tried to convince her to fire someone else, but she said it would be easier just to get rid of you." Ruby explained.

"Did I do something wrong?" Cat whined.

"No, Granny likes you, but you were the weakest link, I guess. It's just that we have to pay rent to Mr. Gold, or we'll get evicted. Business hasn't been awesome lately. Maybe you could talk him into giving us a little leeway?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"Is that why you're letting me see Gold? To buy more time for rent?" Cat said disbelievingly.

"No, no… but it would help." She said hopefully, and Cat shook her head.

"How am I supposed to help with paying the bills?" Cat asked.

"I don't know, go work for Gold." Ruby shrugged. "I'm sure he'd be willing to help you."

"The last person I want to be in debt to is _him._" Cat sighed. "Well, thanks for at least buying me a drink before delivering the bad news." She stood up.

"Where are you going?" Ruby asked with concern in her voice.

"Home, bars aren't really my style." Cat said, and Ruby sighed.

"Alright, I'll meet you back at the house later." She said as she turned back to her drink. Cat sighed and walked through the door. She didn't know what she was going to do about a job, and she refused to stay at Ruby's house for free. She didn't want to go back down that road, owing people money and living off of others. She had done it before, but in this new life, she refused to let it happen again. She walked around the corner, ready for the long walk home, when she heard a voice from a few feet away.

"Hey there, sweetheart." A man's voice called. Cat turned to see a sleazy man, obviously drunk, with shaggy brown hair and an unattractive five o'clock shadow.

"Can I help you?" Cat said sarcastically.

The man stumbled towards her, holding the wall for support. "Why, yes you can." He said perversely, and Cat backed away. "My name's Keith, and who are you, you sexy thing?"

Cat grimaced. "None of your god damn business, _Keith. _Now move along."

Keith laughed lazily before moving towards her, resting an arm on Cat's shoulder and filling her nose with the smell of alcohol. She twisted her face and tried to back away, but his large hand on her wrist stopped her.

"I don't really like the women here, they're so stubborn. They really need to learn their _place_." He growled, dragging her by the wrist and shoving her against the brick wall of The Rabbit Hole.

"Get off of me, you freak!" Cat squirmed, but he was far too strong for her.

"Why don't you pay a little respect, sweetheart. I'm a man, and men always get what they want." He said darkly, and he grabbed her waist forcefully. Cat squeaked in pain, his hand bruising her ribs and squeezing her too tight.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Cat screamed, and Keith smirked. Cat swung her knee up until it made contact with his crotch. He sucked in his breath from the pain, and his grip on her loosened. She took advantage of the temporary immobilization and pushed him away, squirming her way out of his arms and starting to run. However, before she could make her escape, Keith grabbed her bare ankle, and she fell hard on the concrete as he dragged her down. The blow knocked the air from her lungs, and she gasped for air as he climbed on top of her. She couldn't move, the pain in her chest was too much, and she struggled with wide eyes as he pinned her down on the cold concrete.

"You're going to regret that, sweetheart." He growled, and tears started to brim her eyes when she realized what exactly he had planned for her. Once she got her breath back, she tried to scream for help, but he muffled the sound with his hand over her mouth. There was no one outside; everyone was having a good time inside, even Ruby. She was alone, afraid, and unable to overpower her attacker. She only wished that she knew how to use her magic to ward him away, but it was no use. She struggled under his weight until her muscles ached with exhaustion. When he hiked his hand up her skirt and started to unzip his pants, she knew she was screwed.

"Excuse me."

Keith looked up briefly, and Cat watched as he flew off of her, falling to the ground and collapsing with a thud. Cat looked around in confusion, tears blurring her vision. She sat up with her hands supporting her, choking with tears as she kicked the unconscious man off of her. She felt arms wrap around her, and she struggled to get away until she realized who it was.

"Catherina, calm down! It's just me, dearie." Gold said, and Cat sat still as she looked up at him. He looked remarkable, his black suit hugging his figure and a red shirt peeking out from below. It was the first time she had seen him without a tie, and she wondered why he wasn't wearing it. His golden brown hair swept around his face in wisps, and brushed her face as he looked down at her. He looked amazing, but maybe that was because he was her hero at the time.

"Are you alright?" He said with concern in his words. Cat nodded and buried her head into his chest. He sighed as he squeezed her tighter in his arms, kissing her hair and comforting her as best as he could. She mumbled a quiet thanks, and Gold smiled.

"Ugh.." Keith moaned as he regained consciousness. He started to get up, and Gold motioned for Cat to stand back. She quickly obliged, not wanting to sustain any more injuries. Gold stood up, using his cane for support and giving Keith a death glare. Keith sat up, but remained on the ground when he saw Mr. Gold.

" …I, uh.. what are you doing here?" Keith stuttered.

"Oh, I believe you know exactly why I'm here." Gold snapped as he gripped his cane tighter. Keith looked at Cat with wide eyes, then back at Gold.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know… you two aren't together, are you?" Keith exclaimed.

"Oh, we're together all right." Gold growled as he swung his cane again, knocking Keith to the ground and proceeding to beat him, drawing cries of pain from the man and pleas for mercy.

"I'm sorry!" Keith said between blows. "I'll never touch her again!"

"You most certainly won't." Gold said, swinging his cane down harder on his stomach. Cat didn't like the sight, but she knew this man deserved it. He was a sexist pig, and would have raped any other girl that walked by. Still, Cat couldn't take the sound bones cracking and his lungs choking for air.

"Let's go!" Cat called.

"Not yet, Catherina." Gold said, not even looking up at her as he continued to strike the man.

"That's enough, Gold!" Cat yelled, and he finally ceased his blows. He turned away from Keith, set his cane under his right hand again, and walked away. He grasped Cat's hand, leading her to his car. She looked back at his motionless figure, cringing at his broken form.

"Would you take me home?" Cat asked when they got to his Cadillac.

Gold scoffed. "You're not going home, tonight. You're staying with me." He said assertively.

"Just take me home, I'll be fine." Cat argued, and Gold opened the passenger door for her.

"I'm not letting you stay alone, Miss Allaway, and I doubt that Ruby is going to be there any time soon, assuming that she is at the bar." Gold said with finality, and Cat sighed in defeat. Gold got into the driver's seat and started the car.

"Could I at least get a few things from my house?" Cat asked in a flat tone, and Gold rolled his eyes as he backed out of the parking lot.

"Nonsense, I have plenty for you to wear at my home." He said, and Cat blinked in confusion.

Some time later, Cat was sitting on Gold's leather couch. She had her pale legs crossed underneath her, and she was sipping on a glass of red wine. She was wearing one of Gold's shirts, made of dark blue silk, and it was long enough to cover her underwear. Gold was lighting a fire to warm up the living room. It was cold, despite the central heating system, but the fire soon warmed up the room. He sat down beside her and turned on the television.

"How did you know I would be there?" Cat asked curiously.

"I didn't," Gold said, flipping through the channels until the news came on. "I was at my shop. I was driving by when I saw that you needed help. I'm surprised that pig didn't hear me pull up."

"Well, thank you, Gold. I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't been there." She said, blushing slightly.

"Please," Gold said, setting the remote down and turning to face her. "The pleasure was all mine, but don't get yourself into that kind of situation again."

Cat giggled. "I'll try my best not to."

"Oh, but I won't let anything happen to you. Not now, not ever." He said, growing more serious as he grabbed her hand. "But try to make my job a little bit easier from now on." He chuckled. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed like this for several minutes, Cat leaning against Gold as he stroked her hair. He liked the feel of it, soft and smooth, even when it was tangled. He wanted to run his fingers through it, grasp it in his hands and pull her closer. However, he restrained himself from doing so in fear of pushing things too far.

"Do you have work tomorrow?" He asked, trying to get his mind off of the subject.

"Nope." Catherina said curtly, and Gold looked down at her in confusion. She crossed her arms in irritation and stared straight ahead.

"Why not?" Gold asked curiously.

"I got _laid off_." She snapped, and Gold's eyebrows furrowed.

"But you've barely just started working there," Gold said. "What happened?"

"They can't afford to have me on. They need to make rent, Ruby even asked me to convince you to cut them some slack. I suppose that's why she's letting me see you."

"Oh really?" Gold said sarcastically. "Well, we will just have to see at the end of the month." He chuckled.

"I don't know how I'm going to pay rent." Cat sighed.

"You do not need to pay rent if you're living with me." Gold said nonchalantly. Cat looked up at him with piercing eyes.

"Was that a suggestion?" She snapped.

"Observation." He murmured. Cat let out another sigh and settled against his chest.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She said.

"Well, at least come work for me. There are a few things to be taken care of around the shop, if you wish." He suggested.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be in debt with you. People have warned me about that." She chuckled.

"It's not a debt if you're my employee, just payroll."

"Then I do feel a little better about accepting the offer." She smiled.

Gold settled against the couch, holding Catherina close, and continued to caress her hair. She loved the feeling, and she also wondered what if would feel like if he was pulling it, pulling her head back and kissing her neck. She tried to shake the thought from her head, but his hand on her hair didn't help much. He had taken off his suit coat, and she played with his silk shirt, bright red and reflecting the fire light. She knew that he was intentionally trying to lure her in, and she would normally hesitate. However, she wanted to welcome it this time, not only because he was a hero, but she was tired of denying herself everything she wanted. She tried to cast it away as a petty wish, that she didn't truly want him, but the past few days have only fueled her feelings for him. She loved this man, as much as she didn't want to admit it to herself, but she knew that he was right about everything he had told her, especially about their past, because she could feel it. It was a burning flame that pulled at her chest towards what she truly wanted, which was him. She felt that she could find happiness with him, and her desire for him was more than just lusting after an older man.

"I know what you're thinking, dearie." Gold murmured, his accent becoming slightly deeper. Cat froze, and Gold chuckled. He couldn't read her mind, no, but they still had that connection from all those years ago. They were always so perceptive of each other's feelings, and that connection had reignited itself upon her return. He wanted to kiss her badly, he was ready for it. He had been waiting for many years, and he wanted it right then. He would gladly have her in every way he could. She was so beautiful, even more so than she used to be. Despite all of the conflict they have faced, in both worlds, he knew that they would never stop loving each other. Perhaps she has finally realized this, and they could both have what they wanted.

Gold set a finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet his eyes. She was frozen, she couldn't pull away, and she didn't want to. He moved his hand from her hair to her waist, and his other hand went to her shoulder. He slowly lowered her onto the arm of the couch until he could lean over her, with her legs in his lap. He cupped her face with one hand as he stared into her eyes, those eyes that had always intrigued him since they had met. She reached up and played with his hair, unable to manage anything else. She was mesmerized by his gaze and his gesture, and she couldn't imagine herself anywhere else at that moment.

"Let me kiss you." He whispered, and her heart seemed to throb. She gave a slight nod, and he chuckled in return, leaning in until he was a mere inch away. His scent was intoxicating, his hair was so soft, and his weight on top of her felt right. He ran his fingers along her neck, and his fingers slowly ran through her hair, making her sigh in contentment. She could feel static in the small space that separated their lips, and she wanted nothing more than to close that space.

He finally lowered his face a little further, and his warm lips met hers. His scent enveloped her, and her scent enveloped him as well. His fingers tightened their grip on Catherina's hair slightly, making her moan softly. Gold breathed a noise in return as he deepened the kiss. He pulled her closer to him, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled back every few seconds to catch his breath, breathing her name as he did so, but soon embraced her in another kiss. She never wanted those moments to end, and she wanted to take it further. He pulled away and started to kiss her neck, as if he was reading her mind, and she moaned in response. He finally pulled away from her, and he gazed down at her gleaming eyes. He smiled, and she smiled in return.

"Kiss me again." She said quietly.

Gold chuckled and shook his head. "Gladly, but I would rather not continue this on my couch." He said suggestively as he motioned his eyes towards the stairs. Catherina's stomach flipped over.

He kissed her forehead. "Are you ready?"

**A/N: I hope you're into Rumplestiltskin/OC, otherwise this story might not be for you, haha. I haven't decided whether or not I want to write a sex scene, so any suggestions would be cool! Thanks for reading, and review if you'd like!**


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